Family Discovery Day 2020 at ROOTSTECH

Mid-January, I ordered 3 tickets to RootsTech Family Discovery Day which is a Saturday event associated with RootsTech for members of the Church and their families.  Gary and Jena had bowling that day, but I decided to order tickets for them just in case something happened with bowling and they were free to join me.  That didn't happen, but instead I had a ticket for my sister, Valerie, who came in town to spend some time with our dad.  Lucky me--she stayed with me for the weekend and then spent the following week with our dad.

It was awesome to spend time with her--both in conversation and at the Family Discovery Day.  We both like family history, although Valerie has been engaged in the work of it for a very long time.  I am a more recent participant. 

Elder and Sister Stevenson

Saturday morning started off with Elder Gary and Lesa Stevenson as they shared a bit about their family history and how the sharing of family stories connects us to each other and to our faith.  Then Emmitt Smith, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, told his story of family and family history connections.  He told about watching a football game with his dad and some of his dad's friends when the Dallas Cowboys were playing the New Orleans Saints when he was seven years old.  (I think this was a championship game) He turned to his dad and told him that he was going to play football for the Dallas Cowboys and win a Super Bowl ring.  He said that his dad and friends all laughed in that fun way people do when kids say stuff like that, but in his heart, he knew it was true.  And he got 3 Super Bowl rings and so many records.  He had never even played football at that point in his life.  He shared key things that coaches and his parents taught him that lead to his success--hard work, setting goals.  It was very interesting!  We all have these types of stories which are a part of who we are and what we are becoming!  Which is why we should write those important stories down and honor those who were important to us---even if we never win the Super Bowl or achieve extraordinary things---living ordinary lives which touch others for good and honor our Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ!  That is all that really matters.   

As we were wandering through the Expo Hall, I randomly noticed the name on someone's badge as they passed in the opposite direction-  "Kent Parsons."  I mentioned to my sister how odd that someone would have the same name as someone from our ward in Amarillo, Texas.  She turned to look and said, "That is Kent Parsons."  We went back and it was our friend.  He is my age and our parents were very close friends.  My dad and his dad served together many years in a Bishopric.  Kent now lives in New Mexico and regularly attends RootsTech.  It was fun to have a quick conversation.  (Valerie was able to recognize him quickly because she is Facebook friends with his younger sister who had recently posted a family photo of her and her siblings.)  Fun times.

Random fact:  His other younger sister, Edith, was the first and really only person with Down syndrome that I met in my growing up years.  Their family was one of the role models that I clung to when we began our own journey with Down syndrome years ago.

So tell a story, write a story, share a photo---you (and I) are the link between our ancestors and our descendants!  There are easy ways all around to do it!  Just do it!