The South: where family and tradition are the sugar in our tea.

You should always celebrate being in the presence of love.

I don’t usually share these kinds of things, but family is often a topic here at LfaSB.  Family, especially siblings, are some of the most important bonds we share as human beings.  Jeffrey Kluger talks about siblings, beginning from a young age to the late stages in adult life, and the bonds we share with not only ourselves but our parents.  Our siblings are referred to as our “traveling companions” and in his studies he finds that we will create a conversation with our siblings that will last a lifetime.  It is a beautiful 20 minute video and it touched my heart.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, not a time to strangle your relatives.  (Though, sometimes, we’d be thankful if they were strangled.)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being spoiled rotten.  It just means you are loved…a lot!

If you have siblings, you were given automatic best friends.  They have been there before everyone else and they will see through everything with you until the very end.

My friend, Kelly, was telling me last week that Ancestry.com was having a special 14-day trial for free access to all the records that they have.  Naturally, I was curious.  I love history, I love my heritage.  And while I know plenty about my mom’s side of the family, I had little known facts about my dad’s.  As far as I knew, we’d pretty much stayed in the same state and our last name originated from Germany (with the meaning “great, loyal hunter” attached to it.  If you as me, I don’t know how loyalty and hunting have any relevance…hmm, note: look more into loyal hunters.)

A lot of this stems from the fact I didn’t know my paternal grandfather.  He died a year after my eldest sister was born of a very sudden and tragic heart attack.  He was beloved by all, a funny man I was told, but he called for respect from everyone he knew.  Even my mother’s father, lovingly dubbed ‘Papaw’, said my dad’s dad was a great man.  And having not known him always raised questions:

Would he like me?  What did his laugh sound like?  Did he like chocolate?  What were his favorite things to do?  What were his parents and grandparents like?  Among others, there were always little to no answers that accompanied them.  My dad rarely talked about him and my grandma told stories here and there.  But us kids…we wanted to know!  What was he like?  And after that, what was the rest of our family like?

So, I did it.  I made the commitment and signed up.  Why not?  I wasn’t expecting to find much seeing as how medical records are generally shotty and people often misspell names or get dates of birth wrong.  (My brother’s middle name is ‘Cable’ because SOMEONE—coughcoughDADcoughcough—didn’t spell ‘Caleb’ correctly and the nurse didn’t think to ask.  We found that out sixteen years later when he went to get his driver’s license.)  I gave them my card number and started my 14-day free trial with all intention of cancelling it the day after my birthday.  (September 22nd, for all those wondering!)  And—much to my surprise—I was shocked.

In just three hours, I traced my paternal grandfather’s family all the way back to 1620 (that’s 12 generations) in a place called Clare Carrick, County Tyrone, Ireland.  (Which TOTALLY explains why that has always been the place I have wanted to travel!)  There were no loyal hunters to be found!  And there were documents stating that our family had owned the land dubbed Clare Carrick since the 11th century!  As you can imagine, my mouth is still slack-jawed.  I just can’t believe what I found.  And all of this was discovered because I wondered if my dad’s dad liked chocolate. 

To be a bit sentimental would be an understatement.  I feel close to him, I feel like I know him more in some way or another; that by understanding and searching out my ancestors, I have linked myself with him forever.  We have always shared a common bond, but I guess that since I never knew his physical presence, it lacked from time to time.  I only have 13 days left on my free trial, but if I could encourage anyone to do this…especially if you have lost loved ones or never knew them…do it.  It has already been such a rewarding experience and I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on a history lesson they’ll never forget.

Much love!

Your Favorite Southern Belle

Belles and Beaus—

I can’t believe it has only been 9 months since I started Lessons from a Southern Belle and already I have hit 1000 followers.  I am so floored, so very humbled, and so incredibly proud of what this little project has turned into.

I started the blog for one simple reason: I wanted to share my heritage.  I think that as we grow and change we tend to forget the most important part of our past…and that is where we come from.  This blog was always meant to celebrate the women in my life and the advice they have given me over the years, but it too has transformed in barely a year.  It really is a celebration of all Southern women and what we bring to the table as far as our lives go.

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  I wish there were a way I could invite all of you over and we could sit on the back porch for some sweet tea.  Buuuut…since so many of you are far away and that just isn’t possible right now, I’ve decided to have a giveaway! 

On July 27th, I will be posting the prize package from Teavana (worth over $75.00) and contest rules in that post.  The winner will be selected from a random drawing and the package will be shipped to them.  I’ll include more information when I post on August July 27th.

Again, let me personally thank you all for following this blog, sending inspirational messages, and for always encouraging me to continue.  There are a lot more exciting things coming for Lessons from a Southern Belle in the near future and I do hope you all will stay along for the ride!

Your Favorite Southern Belle

Let people into your heart…even if you are afraid that they will be close enough to hurt you.  You can’t spend your whole life being afraid of what people may do to you.

Hi, Belles and Beaus!

So, as some of you may or may not know, last week I journeyed to southern Alabama for a wedding at Orange Beach.  It was my uncle’s.  I was the photographer on-site, gladly having offered my services as a wedding present to the happy couple. 

I wanted to show you the first shot of the series.

I am so happy to share this with you all as it represents the deepest truth that I, as a Southern Belle, celebrate.  That is unconditional, unwavering love.  It doesn’t matter your age, what life you have led, what background you have come from, or what hardships you have faced in your life.  When we discover this kind of love, it rocks us to our core and it should be something that we embrace with an open heart.  My uncle and his new wife have done this and I am so blessed to have her and her children become part of my family.

I love you both!