In the moment we are in, look around the space . What motivates you ? What made you smile? What made you think of a past memory ? This is what led us to this moment as a family. Like everyone else, 2020 caused change in our lives and while we mostly survived we faced the challenges of landing safely that the entire nation seems to be facing in waves. In October of 2019 my Father passed away and we were forced to deal with the family home, collections and memories . It was in that process we made a move to our ancestral town on my mothers side on her urging, as she felt it was a better place to heal from our loss. little did we know 2020 would stop the whole world and a global period of mourning hasn't yet happened for the losses we all faced. one thing is clear, we all have changed. I began looking differently at the family members of my past , the ones who suffered hardship and thrived after. My friends and Family currently facing hardships and how it played out. A few things were clear. 1. objects that make a person feel happy and are part of traditions and or personal style , mattered in morale, in joy, and hope. ..but it led us to a few questions as we cleared out our family estate, about importance and value . 2. The people who thrived in my community and in my familial past Adapted. looked for new perspectives and changed their actions to make a new way without grumblings and complaints. .. those are the backbone of community and family. and now more than ever as I grew in appreciation of others gifts in our lives even just gifts of time, I looked constantly for small objects or moments or expressions to share the joy we were feeling and gratitude just as scarcity became more real and so i had to look closer into what i had readily available to share.
3. Our personal journey was intended to be shared with others. Before I'm piled in the narcissist's bin... please understand where this comes from. There aren't many family members left living to my personal natural family. When you have a history like ours, we have run out of people to invite to gatherings ,.. even funerals. so we slowly become very isolated. a gift from an outsider is rare and eventually you forget how to graciously receive a gift, a compliment ... anything . we give and give and every virtue teaching says give and don't expect in return. which is very kind and pure and in some cases very necessary. But to receive is half the gift giving experience. It is a lesson in experiencing life. The expression of forgiveness of one another to time spent teaching, Random acts of kindness and a community BBQ those are all gifts and we all have become uncomfortable receiving gifts ... even non material ones especially if from an unexpected place. Those unexpected gifts are what opens our hearts and creates peace, understanding and Joy in the world. we were at that place of distrust and the last few years have taught us the lessons on why we need gift receiving. There is a Church, a faith we don't belong to nearby our location. a church that deeply tends to the needs of the poor and struggling. It cares for those no one wants to see. My family may be outcasts and alone in the world but we usually blend into the background anywhere, these people not so much .. they are assaulted with good people despising their presence ... anyhow, ' Our first year alone in this new community we have a knock on the door, they brought us a box of food for the harvest holiday season... now understand we were shocked as we were not in need financially, we quieted our ego and accepted the gift. They smiled and left feeling the warmth of giving. They said it was because we were good neighbors to the church , I also know every other neighbor on the street had rejected the box and demanded it go to someone poorer than themselves.. denying the church members the ability to give a gift and feel that Joy. We thanked them with a warm Heart and turned into the family home as the children excitedly unpacked the box. and we cooked the meal for our home. ... What the box givers did not know was our being wrought with grief and loneliness and their gift was evidence of care that humans have for one another. They didn't know my immigrant father was six when he should have celebrated thanksgiving for the first time in America and had family waiting for him and his parents, but were forced to remain on their boat Passing Ellis island and sent to Nova Scotia to wait until the immigration offices opened again, and that he never celebrated "thanksgiving" because of it. Or that I'm descended from those who shared the first green corn festival meals to starving people and that starving community that survived because of kindness on my mothers side. They didn't know I had spent numerous thanksgivings in the hospital in dim rooms and beeping machines caring for my Grandparents, Late Husband, and Father and had almost forgotten what sitting at a grand dinner at a family table felt like. It didn't matter . I was worthy of a gift and the Gift Giver was worthy of the joy of Giving. Returning to the town has warmed our heart over and over and life lessons are not lost on our family. How we were called to found Tuckers Emporium and this blog community has been a Journey of what being from a place, a people, what being American Means and what is American Culture . And that is not a conversation to have alone Irene Tucker and Our Tucker Family remains forever at Mt. Hope,Port Huron Michigan . a place I too will reside when I retire into rest. Her Stories from the Boarding School and Lake Huron, Her Parents Tailor and Hat shops at 215 Huron ave. Port Huron , Mi. and part of the Detroit Garment District( taking the same train Edison worked to get to and from Detroit), the three sisters left living of 12 children and the families they built. Irene and Therese gifted at mending china . refreshing what was once old and bringing value to it again, the impact that has on the community , society and me as a descendant. the Wild waves of learning that brought a Friends conversation to the moment where the question is: who is my audience who indeed. the crisis that question leads to and how this was the timely question of every American. Who are we and what is our culture? Join with us in our family tradition of giving new life to the past and enjoying American culture, History and what is meaningful in today's world. Welcome. Lovingly, The Descendants of the Tucker Family. I
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Tucker's EMporiumA curated collection of vintage eupherma and origional works by hand in honor of a Tailor and Hattier who lived in Port Huron . We explore history, fashion and the pasts influence on the future ArchivesCategories |