When we look back at our ancestors, we can often find surprising, hidden strengths and things that connect us to our sense of belonging.
Ever since I was little, I have been desperate to see the world, to travel. I was quite an outspoken, independent child. I couldn’t find anyone in my family similar to me.
About 16 years ago, as part of my study to become a therapist, I was asked to think about my family three generations ago. I knew they were English. On my father’s side, my great aunt had owned and run one of the largest travelling fairgrounds in northern England in the early 1900s.
When I thought about their life, I was shocked. Wow! A woman owning and running anything would have been a big deal. There is my independence, and they travelled all the time. There is my constant yearning to travel! ‘Meeting’ them was such a relief. I felt much more connected to my family, even though it was part of my family I had never met.
Some years later, I repeated the exercise, thinking about my relatives long ago, before the Christian influence. Who were they, and where did they live? They were English. They would probably have been Pagans (people who worshipped nature, who found God in nature), who watched the turn of the seasons and were deeply connected to nature.
That’s me. I love to walk, to do overnight hikes in nature. I now know I reconnect with my ancestors when I do this. It re-connects me to something deep in myself and something universal. This is my tribe.
Who were your ancestors? What were their strengths?
Feel free to share in the comments below
Love, Jen
