Seize the Day

As a genealogist, I love to spend my free time researching, photographing tombstones, organizing my paper and digital files, or scanning old photos and documents. So much so, that I tend to lose all track of time unless I set a time limit. Even though it is a passion of mine, it is even more important to remember to make time for family and friends. 

Spending my time tracing records and documents, I look for proof of familial connection; by blood or marriage. But family isn't that simple. Today I was honored to attend a high school graduation and afterwards, a family celebration. The young lady is not family by blood, but by choice. I was her caregiver when she was three, and have watched her transformation into a beautiful young woman. She has been best friends with my daughter for the last 15 years, and I love having her as part of our lives.

Family means many things to different people. To me, those who love you even when you are not very lovable, who want to be around you, who have your back and you have there's, who add to your life rather than take away from it – those people are family. I can’t imagine my life without those people in it – whether they are blood or not.

Remember to seize the day and make memories with those loved ones you call family. They create our narrative and make our lives whole.