Ancestors remembered

  

An altar for the ancestors, with the Mexican use of marigolds, portraits, favorite foods, sweets, scents to please the memories of those who have gone before.

Some of my ancestors to remember on Dia de los Muertos...the Day of the Dead, on November 1st or 2nd...

Ada Rogers, my paternal grandmother, George Rogers, my father, and Mataley Rogers, my mother.

My mother's great grandfather was William Lewis Booth.

He was my great times three grandfather; an attorney, a judge, a Texan, and a Spiritualist.

I wrote about him a few years ago on my Three Family Trees blog. 

His obituary tells a bit about William L. Booth's life. (Colonel is probably an honorific, a result of being a civic leader through the years of the Civil War, though nothing indicates he fought in the war.)

 

 

Here we find his personal religious beliefs...a Spiritualist.  "He was president of the Spiritual association of Texas during the life of that association." (Perhaps it was no longer active at the time of his death?)

But a Spiritualist religious leader, Rev. J. D. Shaw, came to officiate at his burial in Hillsboro TX from Waco TX.  

Col. William Booth (Feb 17, 1818 to Feb 24, 1894) was father of Richard Booth, who was father of Eugenia Booth Miller, who was mother of Mozelle Miller Munhall, who was mother of Mataley Munhall Rogers, my mother.

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Today there are different religions being recognized from all parts of the world. Spiritualism isn't as active as it once was, where people would contact the spirits of their dead loved ones in a seance, or with a medium who might have used a crystal ball. 

I respect all the religions which have many different ways of thinking about the after-life. Nobody knows what really happens at that point. We die. We stop breathing and pumping blood and having electrical activity in our brains. But many people believe there is something more that continues, a spirit, a soul, or maybe a ghost.

I don't particularly like the way the after-life, the spirits, the ghosts are turned into scary subjects to frighten people in various movies and stories, and even all kinds of decorations for Halloween. 

Death isn't scary. It is just part of life. There are certainly more scary things that we all deal with every day...need I talk about current politics, hateful people, climate change, bigoted people, wars, diseases, or accidents which hit so many people?

Sepia Saturday shares a photo of a seance in 1920.

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History is a novel whose author is the people. 

-Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (1797-1863)

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On a more personal note, I started both Physical Therapy to help with my gait, as well as Pulmonary Rehabilitation, to help with breathing more efficiently. COPD really limits my endurance or ability to even move about. The PT therapist found I wasn't using my core much in my walk, sitting or standing, so that will be addressed twice a week with her, as well as at home exercises.

Though I've had Pulmonary Rehab many years ago (2020) that time it was for the Bronchiectasis. (Say Bronk-ee-ect-ta-sis!) I haven't addressed the underlying COPD. That will also help me wean from constant oxygen use at this higher altitude...which is my goal, along with being able to walk more than 100 yards without getting out of breath. I'll go to the same place but different gym and be monitored for breathing twice a week for this.

Too much? I may think so each morning waking with stiff muscles. But so far they don't seem too bad, as I'm starting out very slowly. I'll let ya know!