Family Ties That Bind Us

Think on those words.  The ties that bind us.

Of course they are not visible these ties.
Some of my experiences with these family ties have been happy sad & exhausting.  I have always know no matter where I was in life that there are those bound to me.  By family ties & blood.

Than I think of the Chinese girls who would have their feet bound when they were quite young.  So they could never really walk on their own.  We in the western culture that can be most disturbing.

Can you look at it like this?  That with bound feet this girl from now on must rely upon someone else to do some very basis things for her.  Before she had this done she most likely did not need to much help.  Now with her feet bound so to is her family much more bound to her?

The co-dependance in family is strongly illustrated in the Chinese feet binding tradition.  To be tied to our families is a very good thing.   

When you join with your family & friends this Thanksgiving think about how you are bound to them.  Think of your ties to them.  Then maybe see how you can strengthen them and encourage better family relation. 

Love Letter Story

I have a story to tell you.  It’s a Love Story. Unless your related to me like my brother or sister not likely you heard it before.  Well unless my brother or sister told you.

A Letter how can a letter help love along?  That is my question and my story.

This begins as the usual love tale boy meets girl. Young Man and Young Woman fall in love with each other.  Oh but alas, the love story of this young man & young woman cannot continue in their love quest since he is a river boat Captain. Promises of love are whispered as well as address exchanged.

The Young Woman is back at home pinning away to see her love once again.  There is a letter received!

Oh all the love he speaks of to her. Filling her mind and heart with his great love for her.  She cannot wait to respond, so off she goes to write and send him a letter.

 

The love grows stronger with each letter.

On a repeat trip for the girls father, a man of business, he is asked for his daughters hand in marriage.  Father agrees.

The Wedding Bells ring out. Vows spoken and promised.  They go to live on the River Boat.

A heart break occurs when a misscarriage happens.  Father is so concerned.  He provides land for the Young Man to farm.  They make a go of it.  Very hard work for a man used to to the river and men that work for him.

After several child bless their marriage they decide to follow her brother over to Michigan where lumbering is a mans way to earn a living.

At the sale of the Farm he is asked to sign his name.  He marks an X an X you say yes an X. 

But But But! he wrote all those letters where he signed his name! proclaimed his love!

Once outside the bank She asked you signed an X as your name? He admitted to not reading or writing.  In her shock her head swimming she then inquired of him Then Who! Who! Wrote those letters and how did you repond so correctly???

Again his confession on her ears stung so hard! He admitted that: one of my men was willing to help me correspond with you.  I paid him handsomely, if you wrote back with more love in your voice I paid him extra.

Oh my Letters in the art of Love! She never knew it was not him.

They had a great marriage many children. They never left each other.

This is a story of my 2^nd great grandparents.  I embellished where I needed to but all the facts remain true.