Confession: My profile photo is a "few" years old. Believe it or not, I used to turn off the computer once in a while. I now teach English 101 and 102 on Blackboard, and as a hobby I spend much of my free time working on my family tree, so I can share what I learn with family members who are too busy raising kids to do the research. One of my paternal aunts managed to put together an impressive tree in the typewriter era, despite having to conduct her research by telephone and snail mail from a wheelchair. She is the one who inspired me to expand the tree.

It is a privilege to honor those who struggled and sacrificed on their life's journey, so one day I could look back over the generations and walk with them from time to time. But genealogical research isn't all about honoring the spirits of those who have crossed over. It has also turned up many living relatives, so I look forward to enlarging my circle of family and friends indefinitely.