MAY 2022Self-Discovery Journey Coffee Talk Inspiration  Lately, I have been on quite the rollercoaster ride with finding my voice for this platform and passion, which I call my life work. I am not at a loss for words but feelings. When I sat down to write this morning, as I read the description of my purpose here, I noticed it states this platform is for you, the reader. It took me by surprise because that's not completely true. No, it's for me, and where your work is for you, here's where I am available to meet and discuss our me stuff. So, I made another edit in the description from 'you' to 'us'. I wanted to write 'me' although my heart knows that's just a big lie. I could bemoan about the vibes at the cookout or family reunions but I'm not. I have to put all this emotion aside because with all of my breath this is for my fifth great-granddaughter, so unlike me, she will know about my life, existence, survival, and her ancestors, her legacy.
I am blessed to be a witness to the beginnings of my vision coming to life. The other day my grandson asked me how did I get Paperdoll Journal into Safari? I asked him why does he ask and he said because at school I was telling my teachers about our family history and our class went online to see it. My teachers said it was very interesting. I asked him if he would like to help me and he said yes. Shut the front door! Come on now. This shoemaker's kids gonna have all the shoes. The way my heart swells. My prayer is always, to 'show me what I need to see and what I need to hear'. On this journey, I am thankful, I am grateful, I am blessed. This I know. For the genealogy research community, artists, photographers, documentarians, oral historians, curators, archivists, librarians, architects, city planners, historic preservationists, park rangers, and journalists, I thank you for your work. Oh, and of course, last but never least, all of my cousins, first and second for just being cousins. - xoL #paperdolljournalnotes Paperdoll Journal started as a blog to document the journey of self discovery while researching my family history. I wanted to know what happened across generations for both of my grandmothers to die from diabetes. While they both lived to their 80th decade, I felt they died too young. Journeying through archives, public records, oral history and photographs I have put together a scrap quilt like view of answers for understanding and compassion. Right now, I can feel and see that this has been my way of grieving. I wrote about my motivation and commitment to the research in 2020: https://www.paperdolljournal.com/coffee-talk-with-lisa-hazell/archives/09-2020  Paperdoll Ancestry with Lisa Today I changed the description of this platform from enjoying to approaching. Researching black family history for me is hard and it hurts. I didn't realize how much the findings affected my mental health. I developed anxiety-induced migraines. The good news is that compassion has blossomed. FROM Paperdoll Journal Coffee Talk with Lisa Hazell is designed to help you enjoy, prepare for, and discuss Black American family history research. Topics include an introduction, background information, further research, discussion, and storytelling activities. A learning guide for Black Family Historians TO Paperdoll Journal Coffee Talk with Lisa Hazell is designed to help you approach, prepare for, and discuss Black American family history research. Topics include an introduction, background information, further research, discussion, and storytelling activities. A learning guide for Black Family Historians |
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