History of who we are…

I found out things this weekend about my family I didn’t know growing up. It’s such a funny thing realizing that there are parts of your history and where you come from that you have no idea about-and learning who and where you come from is one of the most important things a person can do to me. I see family and ancestry as a storybook, a storybook that we should read from cover to cover and pass onto our children later.

This weekend I had a little show in Oregon. Because I’m on the road so much, I’ll be leaving for a concert when my dad is coming home from traveling, and we pass like ships in the night most of the time.

Growing up, my daddy and I would do what we called “Daddy/Daughter Dates”. I LIVED for them. He was and still is my hero, and when I would get to spend one on one time with him I felt like I was stealing precious time and I had to get as much of it as I could. We would get in the big blue pick-up truck that always tried to break down, and I would bring my favorite tapes or CD’s and a doll, and we would go to Gun Shows. Or to visit my Great Grandpa who lived hours away. Without fail, on the way there daddy would stop at a diner or café, and we would sip on big steaming mugs of black coffee (Because REAL men drink their coffee black. To this day I refuse to have anything besides coffee in a cup) and he would undoubtedly give me a few quarters to pick out my favorite songs on the jukebox.

At the Gun Shows, I would hold tight on his hand to not get lost, because at hip-height with most of the guys at the shows I would get lost easily. We would pour over guns and dad would tell me why he liked this one or not that one, and I would eye the hunting knives like they were candy. Sometimes the traders and venders would get into discussions about politics or the laws, and I would always laugh and say I believed whatever my daddy did. Because he knows EVERYTHING.

This last weekend, something amazing happened-and by some crazy twist of fate my daddy and I were home at the same time. The timing ended up working perfectly, and for the first time in a LONG time, we got to go on a trip together. The drive was long, and the scenery was as beautiful as it could be…but the most wonderful thing about the chance to spend time with my father was the conversations we were able to have.

I learned things about my daddy when he was younger that I never knew. The amazing man that has always been there for me-constantly amazes me with his integrity, devotion to our family and his passion for unique pursuits in life. I asked for his opinion in things that are happening in my life. Things that I might already think that I have the answers to, then while discussing them with him understand that there are always things I haven’t thought of that he can bring up. I learn from him, and cherish every minute.

I also learned about another great man in my family that has since passed away. My Great Grandfather Carl was an amazing man that I am so blessed to have so many beautiful memories of. Grandpa Carl was the reason for so many of the opportunities that most of the people in my family have been given, and I realized on this trip that I didn’t even know the half of how far his generosity and love reached.  He served our country proudly for so many years, and knowing more about him helped me to understand in so many more ways why my father is how he is.

This really is a rambling blog post, mostly because I’m not altogether sure of what exactly I am trying to say….except that the feeling of having more understanding of where and who I come from was so thrilling.

I feel that very often people my age think that it doesn’t matter, that dusty old family history that lingers at the back of everyone’s mind. But to me, it is one of the most beautiful and precious things that a person can have. That knowledge of where you come from, why you have the quirky traits that you do, why you think and hope dream the way you do-it has it’s origins in some of the most interesting people you can imagine, take the time to discover them.

It’s worth it!

xoxo

~Adrian