our heritage
Monday, August 30, 2004
Well, I'm back from a wonderful week and a half in Hawaii. It was tough, really tough to say good-bye to the sights and sounds of those beautiful islands. I told Dad that I think we will have to get a CD of ocean sounds, cause I'm having trouble drifting off at night in our very quiet bedroom.
We spent a full day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, which I really love, with a private tour guide (a Hawaiian girl who just completed a degree in psychology at BYU Hawaii and is about to start a masters program in international studies at Tulane in New Orleans) and learned a few new things about the Polynesian people and their customs. Each group of people has very special characteristics that make them unique, with special identifying songs and dances. It made me think about our family heritage...who are we and what are our identifying characteristics?
I guess some would say we are of European descent with a mix of cultures...Swedish, English, Scottish, Irish and Dutch, which is a little silly because we are really North Americans for several generations. (Jorge taught me that he is an American too, so...we are NORTH Americans!) The Stouts arrived in The United States in the early 1600's, and the Copens/Richards arrived just a hundred years or so later. The Bergens left Sweden in the 1800's for America, so...I'd say we're North Americans through and through, wouldn't you? So what makes us unique in this huge mass of humanity called North Americans? What would we tell visitors to the "American Cultural Center" about our Stout Family heritage?
I think we would have to tell the story of our Faith and the trials and perseverance of our ancestors. It really is the identifying mark of our family. It was our Faith that brought most of our ancestors to this land, and it was that same Faith that led all of them to travel across this vast country to the West where they could practice their beliefs and worship in a free and safe environment...not unlike the Polynesians who set out to find a better life among the isles of the sea. We have the amazing stories of our ancestors and the trials that they endured. They were valiant people with a great love of God and a desire to live according to His will. They also had a great love for their children and the many grandchildren that would follow. They were willing to endure great difficulties so their posterity would not have to do the same. How grateful I am for that. They set a very high standard for their posterity, one that is not always easy to maintain.
I don't know about you, but I feel obliged to honor their sacrifice by living my life with the same courage and fortitude, with the same conviction and the same devotion to God. As the world moves away from belief in God and His laws, this becomes more challenging...but we must be valiant, just as our ancestors were, and stand for truth and right. There is work to be done, and we are here to do it. At the same time, we must reach out with love and compassion to those who choose a different course, for truly we are all one big family with the very same heritage.
I'm so grateful to my parents for teaching me about God and His plan for man. I'm grateful that they preserved the stories of our heritage, which inspire me. I feel honored to be a mother and to have such wonderful children, and such exceptional grandchildren. (You eight are great, of course, but your children are AWESOME!!)
Life in our family has not been easy. We have endured very trying times, which have required fortitude and perseverance on your part and mine. These trials will go down as part of our history and heritage, as will the very joyous and memorable events. They have made us who we are, and we "ain't half bad" if I say so myself. So...thanks for still talking to me and being such a major part of my life's story. I love you all forever.
posted by Carolee at 12:27 PM
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personalized postcards
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Check out this Martha Stewart site --
www.marthastewart.com/images/pdf/0804_postcards.pdf
You can make your own postcards with all the wonderful photos you are always taking! Would be a great way to send out "change of address" cards, or show off the kids on the first day of school, at a concert, on a fun outing at the beach, etc. The templates are very nice and when you glue a photo on the back they are very sturdy. Print the postcard templates on medium weight cardstock, glue the photos on and press under some heavy books for a few hours. Very nice!
posted by Carolee at 7:24 AM
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