There are many ways to think about this week’s challenge word – STEPS. I recalled this picture of my Mom on the steps of our house with me, my baby sister and two of our foster children.
However I was more inspired to write about some of the milestone steps that people in our family have taken and how they might have felt at that time. Imagine….
Stepping on a ship like the Mayflower like my 8th great-grandfather William Sawyer did when he left England as a teenager in the 1620s. Heading for the new world with his family, knowing some of the hardships they would face he must have been scared and excited at the same time. He landed in Massachusetts, married at a young age, had several children and lived to be 90!
Great-grandma Amelia Phelps Juhrend took those same steps on a boat when she left Germany at age 16 as did Grandpa Carl Quist when he left Sweden at age 16. I imagine they had hopes for a better life and more opportunities.
Others, like 4th great- grandfather Elisha Smith, stepped into the recruiting office and pledged to fight in the Revolutionary War in 1777. Uncle Lester Quist signed up to go to Korea and fight in 1952 at age 17! What were these men thinking as they pledged their very lives?
Generation after generation our family members have stepped out to seek new opportunities, to start new towns, build new churches, sign up for military or start schools, build houses. Think of it! Did you ever….
- Step on a plane to move to a new town
- Step into a hospital to deliver a new life
- Step into a church to walk down the aisle to say your vows
- Step into a doctor’s office to hear the results of a test
- Step into the foyer of your new home
Every day we step out of bed not knowing what the day will bring. I remember stepping into a church reception hall on December 10, 1958 and seeing a handsome young man waiting for Mom to sit down across from him and introduce me to him…my future husband.
What are some memorable steps in your life?
Memories & Musings 