I don't know what he looked like. Was he tall, short, stocky, thin, red hair, no hair, shining black hair? Did he have the sparking blue eyes or the deepest brown? I don't know his birth date, his siblings, or even his parents. I can only use my imagination to see him standing on a distant shore.
I see him, boarding a ship, waving goodbye to his home, possibly his family, probably most of his friends, setting sail to a new world. There is so much I don't know...but this I do know. At some point a man named John Riley came to the shores of America from the shores of Ireland. He worked, he married, he had children, who had children. He is the furthermost known point on the very long line that stretches from me to my past. The tree is filled with cool names, long ago dates and a rare few tidbits of lives lived and connected to mine through time and ancestral blood. I am happy to be on the tree...even on a tiny branch.
My genealogy is made up of plenty of different people and cultures...German, English and Irish. I am sure there are just as many scoundrels as saints and I wish I had a picture and a story book on everyone of them. The notebook I have compiled through the years of amateur research is tons of fun to sift through on a rainy afternoon. I treasure the lives that eventually made it possible for me to be who I am, live where I live and love who I love.
Today is St. Patrick's Day...I will celebrate in my own way, with my own little family the fun parts of our history and heritage. I wish for you a smile on your face and a little bit of green, so you won't get pinched and whether or not your heritage is the same as mine...I hope you enjoy the day and get a kiss for luck!
Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev
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