The Dalai Lama IV said:
"There are only two days a year when we can do nothing. One is yesterday, and the other is tomorrow"
I thought of that quote this week and the link between procrastination and regret as I was working on my family history trying to find some particularly elusive relatives and ancestors. There are only a few people left in my extended family now who have personal knowledge, information, anecdotes and memories to share. So I have contacted relatives both sides of my family, reaching out to distant cousins of my parents in the hope of tapping into their valuable memories before they are gone.
My aunt is the keeper of family history on my father's side, and I am so grateful that she is still remembering and still sharing information with me. She has always been a faithful letter writer, and I regret all the times when I felt "too busy" to sit down to write a letter to her. This week she sent me some photographs of my grandfather's cousins who emigrated to North Dakota, USA. My aunt corresponded with all her cousins and 2nd cousins who had emigrated and recorded names, dates and places.
I was touched to see this on the back of one photograph (and the funny little verse!) - cousin Jennie was always very interested in her father's family and on this occasion requested photographs so that she could make a photoalbum, presumably for her children. I'm certain my aunt answered promptly.... she's wonderful like that!... and I hope that cousin Jennie was able to complete the photoalbum.
Cousin Jennie passed away 6 months after this request.
Time is precious.
I'm off to write more letters!
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