Researching and learning about the lives of my ancestors living in the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s, has amplified my level of appreciation and gratitude for being born when and where I was. The plethora of good things in my life… I picked a pretty good life, this time around!
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Note: I wrote this post reflecting on the life of my own ancestors, and comparing my life with theirs. My heart goes out to all the people in the world currently living in very difficult conditions due to poverty, wars, climate events, and having very little or no access to water, food, medical care and comfort… I think of them every day…
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While our ancestors’ lives might have been a lot simpler in many different aspects, they experienced the lack of modernity, conveniency, medical care, that we have today. Their lives were “tough”. I remember conversations with both my grandmothers: “We didn’t have running water, washing machines, electricity, or television. We didn’t have a car either, but we had nice legs!” “Bathrooms were in the backyard”. “During the war, we had ration tickets to buy food”. “Our Christmas gift was an orange”.
There are so many things to be grateful for in our lives today…
We live in a world where, provided we can afford it, we can pretty much have everything we want. We even have things we don’t need…
Every day, I feel grateful for:
My family, and knowing where I come from. In my research, I found that one of my paternal great-great-great-grandfathers was found on the steps of the abandoned children’s hospice, probably the day he was born… I can’t imagine my life not knowing who my parents were, why they didn’t want me or couldn’t raise me, and all the existential questions that he must have had all his life…
Having running water (cold and hot) in the house, and not having to go fetch water somewhere.
My husband and I try to be conscious about our water usage. For instance, we have a small dish in the kitchen sink to recuperate the water when we wash food or our hands. That water is then used for soaking and scrubbing dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher.
We also have a small watering can in the shower which we fill until the hot water comes. That water is then used to water our plants in our house or in the backyard.
Having food on the table every day…
A soft and comfy bed. Can you imagine sleeping on a scratchy straw mattress and having to refill it frequently?
Having electricity in the house!
Living in Phoenix, Arizona, where it’s 500ºF in the summer –in-the-shade (OK… I’m exagerating a little bit…) (summer here being from early April to end of October), I just couldn’t do it without air conditioning… Thank you Mr. Willis Carrier for inventing modern air conditioning!
I think that Jack Swilling (1830-1878), founder of Phoenix, discovered the area in the winter and thought: “Wow! Such a nice weather! I think I’ll stay here and build a town!”. Then, when summer came along, he realized his mistake (big mistake… huge!)… By then, it was too late…
Thermometer: June 19, 2016. On our patio, in the shade, at 3:13pm……. 120ºF… 49ºC… (I stopped taking pictures of the thermometer after that… too depressing!)
Having medical care: doctors, nurses, hospitals, dentists, medicine (or natural remedies, based on our preferences!)
“Planes, trains, and automobiles” that allow us discoveries of new places, or simply facilitate our lives.
Most of my ancestors spent their entire life in the same village they were born in. People just didn’t move too far. They had no cars, and had very limited furniture.
I can’t imagine working for King Francis I of France… During his reign (1515-1547), the French court was still itinerant. He traveled frequently between his various residences (castles of the Loire Valley, Fontainebleau, etc) and his entire court followed him (we’re talking thousands of people: nobles, artists and servants). It was only after Louis XIV, with the establishment of the court at Versailles, that this itinerant lifestyle gradually disappeared.
On a genealogy note: we can thank King Francis I of France: he is the one who required priests to registrer births and keep a register of baptisms and burials! (in 1539) (see my “Timeline of Historical Events” page for other interesting events).
Being able to carry “my life” effortlessly and conveniently in my jeans’ back pocket. What would we do without our phones? I can’t imagine carrying the old phone I grew up with, my entire book and music collection, all my pictures on paper, my first computer…
Internet! Provided there is no internet issue, being able to access the online archives 24/7, just a click away, and continue to discover the lives of my ancestors!
Merci la vie for the comfort of my life today!
Genealogy
Here are the links to several pages on my Geneanet tree related to individuals or events mentioned in this post: (FYI: on Geneanet, the little “green circle” on an individual’s image indicates my direct lineage with the individuals).
Jack Swilling (founder of Phoenix, Arizona) (1830-1878)
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
The invention of the modern air conditioning in 1902 (by Willis Carrier, 1876-1950)
King Francis I (François Ier) (1494-1547)
King Louis XIV (1638-1715)
My page with several castles in France (which also links to other castles in the world)
My French Lineage 