I promised my mother
A promise is a verbal declaration. Such an oath, really is enduring
when you make a vow to someone you dearly love. A broken
promise is heart breaking. After breaking a promise to a love one,
is there redemption? Can you resolve, repair, or mend the broken
pieces of a dissolved promise?
The story of my 3rd grandmother Mariah, born a slave, survived the
horrors of slavery, and owned acre of land, known as “The Lands
of Mariah Johnson,” have been passed down. As tradition would
dictate, I passed the stories down to my children.
I was in an auspicious position of knowing the oral
history of my
family. My family’s history, at times, especially when I was a
child, seemed to be a fantastic story. Although, I knew that my
mother and aunt
spoke earnestly, I could not capture their moments
of reminisces. I could not
grasp the historical context of living
within a time where color, class and
gender were synonymous with
servitude, slavery and inequality. Therefore, I
lived in their
moment and listened. I listened to their thoughts and memories.
While, in that precious moment of time, I learned that I am, all that
I am,
because of their sacrifice.
Years before my dear mother passed away, she said to
me, “Please
research our family tree.” My mother knew that I had a genuine
appreciation for family history. “I will Mother, not now, I’ll do it
later,” I
answered. In 2006, after my mother’s death, I was
immersed in grief. For a
couple of months, I cried myself to sleep.
Then late one night, when I
remembered my mother’s words,
“Follow the trail of the land, the land speaks.”
the search for my
ancestors began. I struggled through the pain of anguish,
wiped my
tears, buried my regrets and decided to research my family tree.
After 7 years of research, in 2012, I fulfilled my
promise to my
mother. I wrote, “Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree
Yields a Harvest,” the true story of my 3rd great grandmother,
Mariah. At times, I am still haunted by not fulfilling my promise. A
broken
promise is heart breaking. I have learned that ‘time’ moves
on even when we
stand still.
Book Information:
Published date 01/27/2012. ISBN: 978-1-62030-045-9.
The book
contains 207 pages, 50,000 words, 7 photographs with 4
photographs
with courtesy/permission. This work contains 11
pages of Bibliography.
Available in 6x9 perfect bound.
Book available (for $12.00) at The Book Patch
http://www.thebookpatch.com/BookStoreDetails.aspx?BookID=5382
EBook Kindle
Edition at Amazon for $3.00
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are available on your PC
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