Honor your past.


 Naturalization paper
 Ah yes, St. Patrick's Day. Every year on March 17th finds me thinking a lot about my ancestors. In the late 1870's, Michael Sexton, his wife Bridget and her brother Thomas Daily made their way from County Clare, Ireland on the rugged south west coast through Ellis Island and eventually to Rolla, Missouri where they signed their naturalization papers and renounced Queen Victoria on February 3, 1880. (Photo) Michael was my great-great grandfather.

When I think about the guts it took to uproot your life and travel to a new country with so many unknowns, so many things that could go wrong I think about what a wimp I am to complain or shrink back from my own challenges, my own adventures. 

Chances are, you're in the same situation. You've probably got ancestors who came here from some place else. Unless you're like my Lainey (my wife) who is a native to this country. (Cherokee) But in her case, her great-great grandmother walked the Trail of Tears, from Georgia to Oklahoma. Talk about fortitude! Over 4,000 native peoples died on that forced march.

So, what's your excuse? Honor your ancestors. Suck it up and see it through. No matter what's facing you today, it ain't what your forebears had to endure. You can do this. Let's go.

Oh yeah, Erin Go Bragh!

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2 comments

  • Loved this Mike! Thank you for keeping our Irish heritage in the
    foreground of today. Such a legacy. I will email this to Nita and
    her family and I know they will truly be blessed.
    Happy St. Paddys Day – will you be watching Green Grow the Lilacs
    or Bells of St. Mary? Ha!

    Reply
  • Once again we remember our heritage. Thank you Mike for the yearly reminder of where we
    have come from. We share a wonderful heritage from the Sexton Family as well as our
    spiritual heritage from Father God. A whole new family we will spend eternity with.
    “The roads have risen to meet us, and we have dared to step out to take the roads less traveled.”
    I love you, mom

    Reply

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