Designated Descendant - Wishful Wednesday

I wish my ancestors had chosen a designated descendant for all the family heirlooms -- Bibles, letters, journals, records, etc.; furniture, tools, kitchen items.  Wouldn't that be great?  The selfish side of me wishes that I were the dedicated descendant for all my ancestors so that eventually everything would come into my possession.  You may think I'm very selfish, maybe even greedy.  But don't get me wrong.  It's not that I want to own and possess everything.  It's more that I'd like to see my ancestors' possessions, touch them, smell them, photograph them, and take from them the information I could.  It would be an exciting way to connect with them.  And wouldn't it make my family history more interesting, detailed, and successful?

Of course, the generous side of me would share, if not the real things, then at least photographs, scans, photocopies, etc.  Or visits.  Relatives could visit the heirlooms, take their own photographs, and touch and hold things.  We could share knowledge and stories. 

Just imagine all your ancestors' descendants inheriting family items and discarding them because they didn't realize their importance; hoarding them and not sharing; or not even knowing what they are or whose they were.  Or worse, not even realizing that great-great-grandfather's name was William (or George, or Henry, or whatever his name was).  A dedicated descendant would guard and protect them, all in one safe location.  And the rest of the family would know exactly where to find those special papers and objects.

Let's see.  How would this work?  If the youngest daughter of the oldest son were the dedicated descendant, that would be me, but only if we're talking about my paternal grandfather, Gust Doyle.  Or, if the youngest grandchild of the oldest daughter were the dedicated descendant, that would be me, too, but only in the case of my mother's grandparents, Edward Jesse & Mary Bickerstaff.  I guess every family would have had to imagine forward, through several generations, and see me waiting with open arms, and then decide how to get everything to me.  Ah, well, I guess it won't work. It's too late.  Everything's already spread among too many descendants.

Ah, well....  It's just a Wishful Wednesday.

--Nancy.
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