How the Pandemic Connected Me With My Ancestors

Courtesy of Pixaby

I’ve been connecting with my ancestors for a very long time. As a memoirist, their stories have given me much to ponder and write about. In the writing workshops I teach, when I mention connecting with ancestors, some of my students have shared how they too connect with their ancestors and receive messages in different forms such as animals, pictures, and music.

While I’ve had some of these occurrences as well, something more powerful happened to me starting early in the coronavirus pandemic. I think pandemic living has made us all pay more attention to the little details in our lives. The time alone has led to much contemplation. I found myself craving nature and more often glancing out the window of my writing studio window where there is a fountain, writing table, and lots of red flowering plants.

A hummingbird would visit often. She didn’t arrive at a particular time of the day but rather while I was engaged in deep writing. When it arrived, I felt this renewed sense of hope and ability to see life’s larger picture. This was very helpful for my writing. Her arrival also had such a calming influence on me. I loved how I felt in her presence. Her energy seemed to be relaying positive messages, like telling me that everything happens for a reason and all will be okay. Having hope is important, especially when dealing with the challenge of living through a pandemic…