Pretty much every family can trace its lineage back to a central point of origin. There is generally some individual that is the sourcepoint for a specific family’s evolution. Most people are not necessarily clear about that person, their life, and their all and their everything, however. But, there always seems to be one singular individual who sets a long chain of family events into motion.
 
Television shows like, Finding Your Roots, hosted on PBS by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a great example of how deep some family traditions can be traced. For those of you who may not know, this show focuses on uncovering the deep family history of celebrities. It’s really interesting viewing the chronicled accounts of these people’s family history. Some results are obviously very surprising. I wish someone could do that for me.
 
In any case, the family of my wife, which is large family, can all trace their modern history back to one man. One man, who passed away today. Interestingly, the man did not have any serious illness, as is the causation factor for most deaths. He did not have cancer, heart disease, or any specific aliment. Though he was deep in his eighties, I guess he just decided it was time to go. Yes, he has been in decline for quite a while. But, for example, last Thanksgiving, we all ate in a restaurant and he was fine. Christmas, he was at the home of one of his nephew-in-laws, and all was well. But today, I was just informed, he is no more. At least no more in physical form.
 
His story is kind of interesting. He joined the Army Corps of Engineers back in the early 1960s. Back then, they used to advertise in the back of magazines like, Popular Mechanics and the like. In some ways similar to the Peace Corps, the Army Corps of Engineers offered people who joined their ranks a two-year stint in various (then) exotic locations around the globe, working to try and make things better. He was sent to South Korea. There, he met his future wife.
 
Upon Returning to the U.S., and his wife arriving from South Korea, she became very lonely as there were very few people of Korean descent in Orange County, California at the time. A couple of years after her arrival, she helped to bring my lady and her parent’s (her sister) over from South Korea.  From there, she and her husband brought her brother and his family. Then, there was the introduction of my father-in-law’s sister to a friend of this man from his work. The man traveled to South Korea, married her, and brought her and her daughter to the U.S. As these families became established in the U.S., they helped other family members and their children to immigrate. Meaning, this man was the true sourcepoint of a family that has continually expanded. The children have grown, gotten married, and had children. Some have gotten divorced, remarried, and then had more children.  And, the process continues. The family continues to expand and thrive here in the U.S., all because of this one man.
 
I sometimes have joked with my lady that I guess I should blame this man for our meeting. For, if he had not met and married her aunt, we, most probably, would never have met.
 
But, all jokes aside, though the man never had any biological children, due to his wife’s inability to conceive, they did adopt a son and he too is thriving with a wife and children, so the pattern set into motion by this man, continues.

What is also worth noting is that though he was the oldest of that generation, he survived the longest. The others of that family starting passing away as much as twenty years ago.
 
Some of us cannot look too deeply into our past and know the true sourcepoint of our bloodline or origin. But, bloodline isn’t everything in the structure of a true family. Sometimes there is one person who set a pattern into motion where a family is allowed to grow and thrive. That was the case of this man. What will be your legacy?
 
“Fare thee well.”