Lost Roots

You will often hear me speak of the self-absorbed “me” generation. One of the negative effects of this line of thinking is that things that are not immediately in the scope of the individual’s needs or selfish desires tend to be forgotten. The first thing that usually gets dropped along the way is the individual’s knowledge of his/her roots. It’s sad really, once an individual looses sight of his/her important past they can be as unstable in their identity as a leaf in a strong autumn wind. They loose the foundation of a strong moral ground and true character goes out the window.
I was pleased this week to meet a woman who despite living in this modern age has not lost sight of her roots. Her name is Mrs. Duke. Last week I had an opportunity to hang out with her daughter and was introduced to her rich heritage. This woman happens to come from a rich LDS heritage. She was able to tell me stories of her grandfathers association with LDS prophet David O. McKay and show me pictures of her ancestry. There was a pride in her voice as she spoke of her fathers. I was impressed at her knowledge and awed by her passion on the matter. This woman was able to stand on solid moral ground because she understood where she came from and who she was.
Now, what of those individuals who look at their past and say, “What have I to be proud of?” Questions of criminality, hate, and depression often may arise when looking to the past. Our ancestors were not perfect as we are not perfect. Looking to our past does not obligate us to perpetuate wrongs or relive misdeeds. The knowledge of our roots can be a pride of rising above or correcting false understandings. Once we have risen, however, to forget the past we run the risk of falling again. We move forward be remembering where we have been.

-Charles