As a genealogist, I have often approached my work as the careful documentation of lives—recording the names, dates, occupations, and residences that give structure to a family tree.
The hard facts, the fixed points on a timeline.
Yet, if I stopped there, if I didn’t dive deeper into the world in which my ancestors lived, I would miss something vital.
What was the texture of their days?
What sounds filled their neighborhood streets?
How did the events of their town and county ripple affect their choices?
Writing historical fiction has provided me with an even deeper emotional connection that the story of one life can only be understood as part of a larger whole, a living ripple effect of connections.
Years ago, I learned about the concept of the “holon” a philosophical and systems theory idea describing how something is both a whole in itself and simultaneously part of something greater. This resonated deeply with me in my previous occupation helping families with eldercare needs.
Now as both a genealogist and a historic fiction writer the ripple effect of a holon is what shapes the stories of our characters, our ancestors and ourselves, It reveals the human condition. I see how each ancestor themselves creates a ripple effect; And when I write, I see myself, too, as part of this layered interdependence which came from my ancestors.
Music has often been a companion on my journey through the ups and downs.
Natasha Bedingfield’s Drop Me in the Middle has long spoken to me, especially the line: “Drop me in the middle so I can make a ripple effect upon the ocean, I’ll be the moon that turns the tide.” That lyric captures how I feel about genealogy as an inspiration to our greater history in which our family who came before us lived: the desire to leave behind a ripple, just as these three women before me left an impact on my life and the lives of many other children and grandchildren.
Through stories, reflections, and research, my wish is to make a positive difference in this life just as they did, however small, that might move outward and touch others who find resonance in these words.
How have the stories of your ancestors changed you?
I love the photo of you and your family. Thanks for sharing your story.