The Quirks of Family History
So my husband spent much of his young life growing up in eastern Ohio. Since he had many, many cousins, I started gathering data to keep track of everyone, but also got interested in the past.
I learned that his ancestors on his dad’s side came to America a few years before the American Revolution (unlike mine, who are very recent). Eventually some of them moved to western Ohio.
Another interest of mine is cemeteries, and when we have time we visit them at random. One day we picked a cemetery in Indian Hill, Ohio. While walking around, Tom asked, “What’s that pyramid-like structure over there?” We walked over, and much to our surprise, the pyramid had the original spelling of his family name carved on it! It was a family plot, and upon researching, the persons buried nearby were relations. Amazing!
clarakatalin 
Missing Men
Missing men and absent abbas,
Deadbeat dads and passive papas,
Men who have gone off to fight,
Men who seem to be off site,
Men who sit and read the news,
While their kids are so confused.
Men who don’t know how to be men,
‘Cause their dad was missing when …
As they grew up, there was an absence
In body, spirit, or emotional lapses.
God, our Father, we pray to thee:
Fill the gaps we cannot see.
Help the men who never learned
For family, wife, to be concerned.
Who might not know to show respect
To women — sometimes they in fact reject
The ones who dare to have a mind;
Some men have not learned to be kind.
Don’t get me wrong, the ones who fight —
The rough guys, tough guys, they’re all right.
I only hope they will include
Some kindness in the interlude.
Yes, dear men, you have a role
To care for wife and children’s soul.
And like us women who too have flaws,
To see God’s plan we must give pause.
Category:
Christian, Commentary, family, Poems
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