Two years for 100 Years in America!

Two years ago today I took my first footsteps into the blogging world here with the inaugural post at 100 Years in America and over at Small-leaved Shamrock followed the next day by the small beginnings of another blog, A light that shines again. These projects have been and continue to be a joy for me. They have forced me to continue work on family history projects within various branches of my family, have enabled me to get into contact with new-found family members, and have given me the chance to "meet" fellow researchers and writers doing similar work through the online world of "geneablogging".

A heartfelt thanks to all of those that have read, commented, offered research assistance, or otherwise supported my efforts here at 100 Years in America and at my other online "homes". As is inevitable, life has gotten in the way of blogging for me recently, but I hope to be back full force at some point after taking things a little slowly here for awhile.

If you'd like to read some of my favorite articles in the archives, take some time to visit The best of 2008: 100 Years in America iGene Awards. You might also enjoy stopping by Happy Anniversary, 100 Years in America! for a summary of the best of my first year of blogging.

One of the reasons that I began working to share my family history online two years ago (long before I hit retirement age) is because I know that life is short and I hope to make the most of the time I have to enjoy, while at the same time sharing with younger generations the wonderful stories that have become a part of our personal family history and the collective history of our world. The knowledge that I have gained about the lives of my ancestors and the times and worlds they lived in has truly made me a more well-rounded and understanding person, and I hope the same will be true for all those who read their stories here at 100 Years in America.

As Elisabeth Kübler-Ross stated,

"It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had."

This branch of my family has only had a short one-hundred years here in America. Chances are that I'll personally have less than that. (Unless I break the longevity record in my family!)

Here's celebrating two years of 100 Years in America and looking forward to many more years to come!