Family Tree

So I met with my second cousin (lets call her J) from Australia yesterday who up until November of this year I didn't know existed.  Tracked down via the web her father and mine were as thick as thieves until they eloped and all ties were lost and yet fond memories and stories of times long gone prevail.  It was great to hear all about my father's side of the family as he was fifty when I was born and so they had already passed away.

It was a fantastic journey taking me from 2010 right back to 1801 and however dysfunctional, eccentric or long forgotten these people have come to be, it warmed me to the bone to feel part such a unique family.  I had never before seen a photograph of my grandparents despite my dad talking so fondly about his mum when I was growing up, and strange to see that I look just like her and have many of her personality traits. 

So on the looking back before looking forward front I think I should be awarded a big fat tick.