GRATITUDE

November 2022 is here and fall is preparing us for the winter months. Life feels like we are slowing down. I am grateful for the seasons in our world and the seasons in our lives. There are still many challenges in our world. This may prove to be a difficult season for those who do not have secure employment. I have read several books on Christmas in preparing for the advent season. A couple of years ago I bought some books from an acquaintance and the last ten were still sitting on my shelf. I committed myself to finish them and then pass them on. Then came the last one, The St. Nicolas Anthology, with 541 pages. Thinking the book was about Christmas, I was surprised to find that it is a collection of stories from a children's magazine from 1873-1939; 1948-1950; 1983 edition. In 2016 a hand drawn copy of the cover picture of this article was auctioned for $2,340. For me the second article is of most value. "The Soldiering of Beniah Stidham" is a view of a young man's life in the Revolutionary War. According to genealogy information about him on ancestry.com and familysearch.org provide more information about the family and the place where they lived. It was a serendipity moment of gratitude for this book being sent my way! This is what I wanted to find in my research. It helps me to see my ancestors in ways history books seldom do. The anthology is available online. There is no index to guide me on, but it compels me to search for stories about my ancestors so I can know them better.