“Happy is the person who recalls his ancestors with pride and realized that fate has linked him with a race of goodly men.” —Goethe
Dear Nila!
Today I want you to know what a great family line you have, so I will tell you about some of the wonderful people preceding you, people of courage, faith, honor, and spirit of adventure. You are a part of all of them, just as all of them are a part of you.
We’ll start one hundred years ago, in the year 1910, with your great-great-grandfather, Pawel (Paul), a brave man serving in the army of the famous Austrian emperor, Franz Joseph. Pawel was known for his deep faith, humility, bravery, and love of family. After completing his military service, he worked as a miner providing for his wife and large family.
Your great-grandfather Otto was a man of great courage and had an entrepreneurial mind. He was a hard worker, faithful to his family and friends alike, and in his goodness, compassion, and courage he helped so many people in his lifetime that even now, three generations later, he is still remembered by their children’s children. I, too, remember him (he was my grandfather) every day when I see the cross he given me at the age of nine years old. To this day I wear that cross proudly, remembering his goodness, care, and love to me.
Your great-grandaunts Lucja (Lucy) and Ewa (Otto’s sisters) were great ladies with visions ahead of their time. In the 1930s, when most women just stayed home, Ewa was an educated woman who worked in an insurance agency, making sure that the miners and their families were provided for if they needed help. She was a woman respected by many, and she paved the way for many other women who wanted to make their mark in a workplace. Her sister Lucja was also a lady of great statue, elegance, poise, and known for her wise investing strategy. She was generous with others and shared of everything she had. Thoughtful and kind, I remember her every time I see the little flowers called “snowdrops” as she always had them in her garden, and each year as spring arrived, she’d give me a bouquet of her little crop she had grown just for that one purpose, to make me happy.
