Stuck
Better late then never...today I hoicked out the kids advent calendar from the garage.
It's a wooden one, with little draws for each day. All lovingly hand painted by my Mum....
...and it's got damp and warped
...and now day 23 won't open so I can't put the chocolates in.
At first I felt really upset. There's this gorgeous thing that my Mum has created, that's meant to be used year after year to create special Christmas memories...and bl**dy door number 23 is jammed shut.
It's ruined....unless maybe it comes loose as the wood dries?
...and you know what, even if it doesn't loosen...the calendar is still gorgeous and come Day 23, I'll just re-fill Day 1 and tell the kids to open that and it'll become a joke and that will be a special Christmas memory.
Sometimes stuff happens and you've got to adapt.
Sometimes you find an illegitimate ancestor born in 1740 and that door to the next generation, or at least the male side, is just wedged shut.
You may as well get on with something else (like writing up your findings and stories). You never know, whilst you are writing about that family, the places they lived in and the things they did...
...well, then the metaphorical wood might dry and just like my Door 23, the answer to your paternal line might just get unstuck.
And even if writing doesn't help you see answers, you'll still have done something worth doing. You'll still have something to treasure, a written piece to pass down to the next gen or to share with fellow genealogy lovers.
So stop trying to force the door open.
Get a pen out and wait for the wood to dry.
Of course, if you need help writing, then don't worry the Curious Descendants Club doors will be opening very soon.
Take care,
Natalie
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