Jenny Cary here again for Cindy.

I teach gifted classes at my school. The fifth graders are really getting into colonial/revolutionary American history which I am so excited to teach. I’ve collected books and artifacts for years with the hope of finally sharing this love of history with students who might just get excited with me. It’s finally happening.

Last fall we talked about the Mayflower. I was able to share that I had an ancestor come over on it and so did my husband. They thought that was funny but the truth is, we are so inter-related, it’s like a six degrees to Kevin Bacon kind of thing.

And that isn’t all. A cousin wanted to do some family history a few years ago. She sent me what she had and asked if I knew any more—I didn’t. But what I did notice was that a certain name showed up in both my family and my husband’s family. A little more digging and I learned my side had migrated to Indiana from NY where his side, with that name, still lives. We haven’t located a center point—a single person where the two lines come together—but think about this: I grew up in Indiana and moved to Arizona as a teen. My husband was raised in upstate New York and moved to Arizona as an adult and we both ended up working at the same retail store where we met and began to date. We both had family on the Mayflower and we have a common family name from the same geographical area. Is there something in family that just calls out to each member?


I received an e-mail from my friend Belinda today—which is what really brought all this to mind. She told me that another Crockett descendant had been in contact with her and a Robert Crockett of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Belinda had introduced me to Robert—a lovely man, retired farmer who writes and recites poetry. Well, it seems that the Crockett descendant here in the states had a DNA test done and sent a kit over to Robert to see if the Crocketts from Ireland and the Crocketts of Davy’s line here are kin. Belinda said the verdict is in and yes, we are all related.

I could have told them that without the DNA test. Though it might go back ten generations, there’s something about family that comes through. I could see a familiar something in Robert’s face when I first met him. The tug of kinship was real.

So I ask you, have you ever stumbled onto family? Do you know what I mean by a tug of kinship? On a family tree, Robert and I would be on distance branches. My husband I and on even more distance ones (the kids are really happy about that!). So I’d love know what you all think.

Until tomorrow,
Abundant blessings!