ᴍʏ ʀᴇal-lɪfᴇ ʀɪᴋᴇʀ ʀʏᴋᴇʀ faᴍɪlʏ hɪstᴏʀʏ ᴊᴏuʀnᴇʏ
unᴠᴇɪlɪng ᴍʏ faᴍɪlʏ’s ɪntʀɪcatᴇ tapᴇstʀʏ wɪth ʀɪᴋᴇʀ ʀʏᴋᴇʀ faᴍɪlʏ hɪstᴏʀʏ was lɪᴋᴇ stᴇppɪng ɪntᴏ a tɪᴍᴇ ᴍachɪnᴇ. ᴇach dɪscᴏᴠᴇʀᴇd ʀᴇcᴏʀd tʀanspᴏʀtᴇd ᴍᴇ tᴏ thᴇ lɪᴠᴇs ᴏf ᴍʏ ancᴇstᴏʀs, paɪntɪng a ᴠɪᴠɪd pᴏʀtʀaɪt ᴏf thᴇɪʀ stʀugglᴇs, tʀɪuᴍphs, and thᴇ thʀᴇads that cᴏnnᴇct us. fʀᴏᴍ tʀacɪng ᴍʏ gʀᴇat-gʀandᴍᴏthᴇʀ’s ᴊᴏuʀnᴇʏ acʀᴏss thᴇ atlantɪc tᴏ dᴇcɪphᴇʀɪng thᴇ fadᴇd ɪnᴋ ᴏf cɪᴠɪl waʀ lᴇttᴇʀs, ɪ unᴇaʀthᴇd a tʀᴇasuʀᴇ tʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴏf stᴏʀɪᴇs that fᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇnʀɪchᴇd ᴍʏ sᴇnsᴇ ᴏf sᴇlf.
