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This is not a story about my newest ancestor find. I like to remind folks to record their lives today because today is tomorrow’s past! So rather than recording a recent ancestor find, this is a story about a more “recent” potential ancestor in my family. It is a story about my granddaughter Jooniebug who will be three in November and one day, she may truly be a future descendent's ancestor find!
When Roxanna became pregnant with Harper Jooniebug McCommon, we were all reluctant to be happy. You see, Roxanna and Jeremy had lost a baby soon after they were married just shortly after learning they were pregnant. Roxanna experienced complications early on with Jooniebug. We did not want to get too involved with happiness because we feared that we would lose our Jooniebug and our happiness. And we all prayed for our baby’s health and safety.
Sometime early on in her pregnancy though, Roxanna saw a beautiful little bird’s nest in a bush in their yard. The next day, there was a beautiful little blue egg in that nest. The next day there were three; the next there were four!
That robin’s nest was a nest like an untold number of other robin’s nests. It had no claim to fame. Daddy and Mommy Robin were not little robin celebrities. Their nest was made of small twigs and was not made of spun gold.
That robin nest in the tree in Roxanna’s yard was special though. It was special because it was a robin’s nest in a bush in Roxanna’s yard. It was not in the neighbor’s yard. It wasn’t even in a bush in Roxanna’s yard back hidden in the corner. It was almost right outside her door. It was a nest that she noticed. It was a nest that held the potential for life at the same time she held the same and it was in her yard where she would notice it! And in our minds, that normal little robin nest became a sign from God that we need not worry. He had this!
Roxanna had a few scares during the early months of her pregnancy. She became worried and frightened. Each time she did, I would remind her that God does not give robin’s nests to just everyone! Our baby was gonna be fine! That normal, robin’s nest had become a sign of hope!
Our beautiful and perfect Jooniebug was due on the 16th of November but she debuted a few days later. She had to be in the NICU for a few days but she went home on a Thanksgiving day that was truly a day for thanksgiving!
When we had visited my daughter’s family after Jooniebug’s birth, the camellia bush that had served as a source of hope was filled with beautiful blossoms. It was nearly December and despite cooler temperatures, this bush was filled with beauty. I took those blossoms as a further sign of hope. In spite of the “cooler temperatures” that life will send her way, my Jooniebug will blossom, persevere, or as her great-great-uncle Olen, forever the Marine might say, “adapt and overcome”!
Speaking of Uncle Olen, my Uncle Olen has welcomed the births of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-great-nephews. I have never seen him react to a family addition as much as he has to Jooniebug. When my Uncle Olen heard that Jooniebug was due in November, he swore that she would be born on November 10th, the Marine Corps' birthday. He fought in Viet Nam as a Marine and “once a Marine, always a Marine” is his motto. Even when she was born several days after the 10th, he says that her “real” birthday is November 10th but she can celebrate two birthdays. He has only been able to actually see her once but is completely enamored of his “Little Jarhead” and swears that she will grow up to become the first female Commandant of the Marines. I just cannot figure out why Uncle Olen has taken so much with Jooniebug; I guess it is the fact that she was born in the Marine Corps’ birthday month. I don’t know why but this big ol’ Marine is totally wrapped around Jooniebug’s little finger. He isn’t the only one either!
Since Uncle Olen is always calling Jooniebug his little Commandant Jarhead, I took a couple of photos of her for him as a little Marine. I got some edits in a Facebook group to make it look a bit more "official".
I sent Uncle Olen a copy and he had it photoshopped even more and sent me a copy.
Another photo of the Commandant.
The first time Jooniebug went to her new preschool, her mother took a photo of her as she entered the school. My mom and I think that she looked just like the Marine Commandant inspecting the barracks. I asked the same Facebook group to photoshop it to make it look like she was really inspecting her troops so I could send it to Uncle Olen! Someone kindly made a great picture of the Little Commandant.
I made a little quilted collage picture for Uncle Olen also. It is supposed to represent Jooniebug saluting her great-great-uncle Olen. I didn’t put Uncle Olen in full profile to hint at how far she has to look up to him, but also so that he could represent all Marines, past, present and future.
So God willing, this little girl who has so many folks enamored of her will one day grow up to have a family of her own. Even if she should choose not to become the first female Commandant of the Marine Corps, I am certain that she is destined for great things. I imagine generations of her descendants telling stories of their grand, great, great-great, great-great-great… whatever grandmother Jooniebug. I can imagine them regaling over the many things that she will accomplish in her lifetime and being proud to descend from a woman such as she will surely become.
Who knows, perhaps they will even happen upon this story and think about the big strong Marine who was so totally enamored of their grandma, his Little Commandant Jarhead!
That robin’s nest was a nest like an untold number of other robin’s nests. It had no claim to fame. Daddy and Mommy Robin were not little robin celebrities. Their nest was made of small twigs and was not made of spun gold.
That robin nest in the tree in Roxanna’s yard was special though. It was special because it was a robin’s nest in a bush in Roxanna’s yard. It was not in the neighbor’s yard. It wasn’t even in a bush in Roxanna’s yard back hidden in the corner. It was almost right outside her door. It was a nest that she noticed. It was a nest that held the potential for life at the same time she held the same and it was in her yard where she would notice it! And in our minds, that normal little robin nest became a sign from God that we need not worry. He had this!
Roxanna had a few scares during the early months of her pregnancy. She became worried and frightened. Each time she did, I would remind her that God does not give robin’s nests to just everyone! Our baby was gonna be fine! That normal, robin’s nest had become a sign of hope!
Our beautiful and perfect Jooniebug was due on the 16th of November but she debuted a few days later. She had to be in the NICU for a few days but she went home on a Thanksgiving day that was truly a day for thanksgiving!
When we had visited my daughter’s family after Jooniebug’s birth, the camellia bush that had served as a source of hope was filled with beautiful blossoms. It was nearly December and despite cooler temperatures, this bush was filled with beauty. I took those blossoms as a further sign of hope. In spite of the “cooler temperatures” that life will send her way, my Jooniebug will blossom, persevere, or as her great-great-uncle Olen, forever the Marine might say, “adapt and overcome”!
Speaking of Uncle Olen, my Uncle Olen has welcomed the births of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-great-nephews. I have never seen him react to a family addition as much as he has to Jooniebug. When my Uncle Olen heard that Jooniebug was due in November, he swore that she would be born on November 10th, the Marine Corps' birthday. He fought in Viet Nam as a Marine and “once a Marine, always a Marine” is his motto. Even when she was born several days after the 10th, he says that her “real” birthday is November 10th but she can celebrate two birthdays. He has only been able to actually see her once but is completely enamored of his “Little Jarhead” and swears that she will grow up to become the first female Commandant of the Marines. I just cannot figure out why Uncle Olen has taken so much with Jooniebug; I guess it is the fact that she was born in the Marine Corps’ birthday month. I don’t know why but this big ol’ Marine is totally wrapped around Jooniebug’s little finger. He isn’t the only one either!
Since Uncle Olen is always calling Jooniebug his little Commandant Jarhead, I took a couple of photos of her for him as a little Marine. I got some edits in a Facebook group to make it look a bit more "official".
I sent Uncle Olen a copy and he had it photoshopped even more and sent me a copy.
Another photo of the Commandant.
The first time Jooniebug went to her new preschool, her mother took a photo of her as she entered the school. My mom and I think that she looked just like the Marine Commandant inspecting the barracks. I asked the same Facebook group to photoshop it to make it look like she was really inspecting her troops so I could send it to Uncle Olen! Someone kindly made a great picture of the Little Commandant.
I made a little quilted collage picture for Uncle Olen also. It is supposed to represent Jooniebug saluting her great-great-uncle Olen. I didn’t put Uncle Olen in full profile to hint at how far she has to look up to him, but also so that he could represent all Marines, past, present and future.
So God willing, this little girl who has so many folks enamored of her will one day grow up to have a family of her own. Even if she should choose not to become the first female Commandant of the Marine Corps, I am certain that she is destined for great things. I imagine generations of her descendants telling stories of their grand, great, great-great, great-great-great… whatever grandmother Jooniebug. I can imagine them regaling over the many things that she will accomplish in her lifetime and being proud to descend from a woman such as she will surely become.
Who knows, perhaps they will even happen upon this story and think about the big strong Marine who was so totally enamored of their grandma, his Little Commandant Jarhead!
