You all know how interested I am in genealogy. I love it. And not just my own. Anyone’s. I just find it fascinating.
One thing I came across, time and again, during my research, is the importance of having someone to claim you and having someone who always knows where you are in the world. It really stayed with me.
I realized it when searching the old World War II Draft Registration Cards. Down on the bottom left hand side of the form. In bold type: Name and Address of person who will always know your address.
Of course, this was probably so they could track you down if they needed you for service.
But it is usually also an indicator of the person closest to you. That person who will always know where you are.
And I realized it again while perusing an old letter (1927) written by my Granda’s aunt. It was sent to my grandfather, Patrick, his brother Peter and their cousin Jimmy who were all living in New York City at the time. The letter is about the death of their grandmother in Ireland. But Aunt May also added a few lines about a fellow heading to America that had no one there to claim him.
I also realized it very recently when following the story of a missing Brown University student, Sunil Tripathi, in the United States. He has people to claim him. They are desperate to find him. And doing everything they can to spread the message. He just disappeared into thin air. I don’t know anything else about him. Because that’s not important. It’s only important that his loved ones know where he is.
Everyone should have someone who will claim them. And everyone needs to have a person in their life that will always know where they are.
It’s important. It’s always been important.
Just Being Mary 