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Where I come from

July 10, 2016 By Christine Field

This post may contain affiliate links.

This is where I come from.

No, we weren’t sharecroppers in the dust bowl. We were the Moriartys from the south side of Chicago. This photo is of my parents and the first five children (I am number 8) on the back porch of the house we grew up on. Out of this motley crew, one became an aerospace engineer, one a college professor in engineering, one a transportation executive and one a psychologist/high school principal.

America is still the greatest country in the world. Schooling is free (if you choose public education). A library card costs nothing. We are the most resourced country in the world.

What will YOU do with all you’ve been given?

What are your excuses if you don’t?

where I come from

And as for the last 3 kids, we became a geologist/computer programmer, a business school dean (among other callings!) and and attorney/author (me).

When I hear someone make excuses for their life based on how they were raised, I remember and give thanks for my own roots.

I am grateful that I am the keeper of the old photos. I have digitized them to share with my siblings and used them in various projects. Old photos are a treasure and a history book. If you have them, care for them and share them with the next generation.

I’m also grateful that I know what I come from. Some of my adopted kids may never know their backgrounds, beyond a few lines of information shared with social workers. They will always wonder.

What can you do to explore and preserve where you come from? A lot!

With renewed interest in genealogy, the marketplace is offering many options for research.

Ancestry.com might be your first stop. You can access vital, census and military records to begin to build your family tree. Even if you have scant information about your ancestors, you might make some delightful surprises here.

Another related service is Ancestry DNA. For $99, you submit a saliva sample and your DNA is analyzed for more than 700,000 genetic markers. You will be able to pinpoint your genetic ancestry!

Some families work together to assemble heirloom family scrapbooks. I have seen some beautiful books created that are filled with artistic flair as well as memories. To explore this, you might check out sites like www.scrapbook.com or visit your local Hobby Lobby for some hands-on inspiration.

In our family, telling our stories has been the way we have shared God’s faithfulness over the years. Looking at the memory and sharing the narrative are powerful ways to remind our kids that God has been involved in their lives from way back when, right up to the present day.

First grade

1st grade

Holy Communion

communion

Perfecting an early sneer

sneer

An early public speaking debut, wherein I recited the following:

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown,
Tapping at the window and crying through the lock,
Are all the children in their beds, it’s past eight o’clock?

speaking

Filed Under: Encouragement, Purpose and Passion, Rants, Raves and Reviews, Relationships Tagged With: ancestry, dna, genealogy, scrapbooking, where I come from

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Hi, I’m Christine

Have you been a wholehearted mother, but time, toddlers and teenagers have moved on? If you are wondering what comes next for you, you’ll feel right at home here.

Or, are you a mom for whom family life has been non-Pinworthy and parenting has been downright painful? I hear ya. There are many of us around.

Are you looking for a life full of exploration and adventure after the nest empties, but maybe you have no idea how to go about doing that? Stick around! We’ll explore adventures together to help you gain more clarity for your own path.

After a couple decades of writing books and articles about parenting, homeschooling and adoption, speaking to homeschoolers and other parent groups, and reaching out to the mom in the trenches who was trying to make the best of it - my kids grew up. Some grew up and grew away. I was determined to find a way out of the pain, emptiness and lack of direction.

For many of us, the journey starts with something we moms are not accustomed to. After years of caring for and serving others, sometimes we forget the beauty and wonder of US. We need to spend some time getting to know the parts of ourselves that have lain dormant, and take the time to explore interests and passions that we set aside.

I’d like to invite you to get the “What’s Next for Mom” workbook and jump into this growing tribe of Moms who are emptying the nest and filling the life! Let’s reignite your Mojo after Mothering!
Read More…

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About Christine

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At Real Mom Life, my passion is to provide resources and reassurances for moms facing the surprising challenges of family life. In my writing and speaking, I explore solutions to unexpected issues in adoption, homeschooling, special needs, and more while encouraging moms to extract the maximum joy out of each day. Read More…

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