T is for Tenth Blogiversary: A Decade of Discoveries! No. 20 of 26 posts in the April 2024 Blogging From #AtoZChallenge. Theme, My Life: The Prequel (in Snapshots) — adding my parents’ story to the family history mix. Please join me on the journey.

What common thread connects a Union Army veteran of the U.S. Civil War, a ballroom dancing instructor, a woman who left her marriage in the 1850s to live as a “widow,” and a maiden aunt who worked until age 75 in a glove factory office?

They are all ancestors or relatives of mine whose stories have appeared on Molly’s Canopy since it launched ten years ago.

Did I know when I sat down to write my first blog post on April 24, 2014, that I’d still be blogging ten years later? Not at all!

Did I have any idea that I’d now be participating in my sixth A to Z Blogging Challenge? Nope, that’s a surprise, too.

Writing time well spent

Somehow the years and the stories have flown by, leaving me wondering, “Where did the decade go?” Yet it was writing time well spent.

Writing about my ancestors and relatives has helped me amass and analyze way more information about my family history than I might have with research alone — and prompted me to share some amazing family photos that might have languished in a shoe box!

Through Molly’s Canopy, I am also grateful to have met many helpful cousins, both maternal and paternal. Along the way, they have graciously shared research findings, documents, photos, and family stories, which have immeasurably enlivened the blog.

A legacy for Molly’s Canopy

Now that I’m ten years in, it’s time to pause and reflect on the legacy of Molly’s Canopy and how its family content can be preserved. For me, the logical next step is to process what I’ve already written into a more permanent printed form — possibly a book (or books, given the amount of material).

That way, it can be passed on to family and donated to repositories so future generations can benefit from the research and resulting family stories.

Some bloggers simply stop when they feel their ancestral writing is done. My plan is to continue with Molly’s Canopy, but at a more leisurely pace. I have already moved from blogging weekly to every other week, to keep the stories flowing while allowing time to process what’s been written.

Heartfelt thanks

Meanwhile, today is a day to celebrate the Tenth Blogiversary of Molly’s Canopy. It’s also a day to my extend heartfelt thanks to my family, friends, fellow bloggers, genealogy colleagues, and regular readers for joining me on what has been – and will continue to be – and incredibly enlightening journey. Your observations and support are deeply appreciated.

Finally, to include my parents Norm and Peg (Laurence) Charboneau in this Tenth Blogiversary celebration, let’s return to their story.

Up next, U is for University graduates: My parents finish college. Please stop back!

© 2024 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.

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