Tick... tick... tick...

I should be used to people who are very distant cousins emailing me with information about my family, but it's still somewhat surreal that I know the least about my own direct ancestors. Today's was the .jpg of my great-great grandfather's obituary stating that he scared an entire post office by literally dropping dead of a heart attack when it was his turn at the service counter. His son died of a heart attack after bowling one night, and of course his granddaughter died of one in the middle of an ER as my boyfriend (now husband) & I were getting to the airport to spend Thanksgiving with her in 98.

No previous heart problems for the lot of them, but I think part of me is now prepared for a similar call about my father someday. Clearly modern technology is no match for when this branch of the family decides it's time to go for whatever reason. I wouldn't object to going the same way someday, I hate waiting around for much of anything.

Two generations of these distant cousins also have the name of my great-granduncle who was shot down in WWI, and they're going to visit his grave in France this year. I... had no clue his gravesite was a known location.

I have so much work to do still in order to pass on any sense of family history to Kieran.