Family is everything to me and is central to everything else that I believe in so it is no surprise that I have ended up creating this family history blog to document my experiences but I wanted to also share the inspiration behind the naming of this site. It stems from a connection I had with a particular piece of art. I am not a collector nor a follower of art or music for that matter – in both instances I am led by my feelings and if something moves me or creates an emotional reaction within me then I draw my inspiration from that.
I first saw this piece a couple of years ago and had a very strong emotional reaction to it that has stuck with me ever since. I know it is a piece that has produced strong reactions in others too. The work is a licensed piece of art so I can’t post a picture here but will post a link to the artists’s site where copies of it are sold – with massive hints to my family that a large framed version of this print remains high on my Christmas wish list! The piece of work is entitled “She Will Find What Is Lost“ by the artist Brian Kershisnik.
This piece was a chance discovery whilst searching for something else but when I saw it I wept. Never before had I connected so strongly to an image and for me it conveys a powerful message. Firstly, I get an overwhelming feeling of love being ministered through angels, a sense that we are being watched over and encouraged forward in our mortal journeys by those who have already gone before. I get a sense that they have a power to influence and make impressions upon us if we are just still and open enough to hear those impressions when they come. I see spirits of all ages and so for me they are family – they are our ancestors waiting to be discovered – all eager to press forward and leave their impression upon the one who will find them and restore what once was lost. It confirms my conviction that just as we are keenly searching out our ancestors, they are equally working hard from beyond the veil of mortality to help us find them. This image is for me a simple reflection of some of my experiences felt whilst conducting family history research. Discoveries made sometimes in ways that can only be described as spiritual or miraculous even – I am finding what was lost and I am acknowledging divine help in that task!
That being said, I am aware that my feelings about this piece and the meaning I have ascribed to it are not necessarily a reflection of what the artist Brian Kershisnik intended when he originally created the work and so in the interests of balance I feel I should also direct you to a note he made with regards to this piece. Read his thoughts here.
To be able to do what we love is truly a gift!