October is . . .

National Cancer Awareness Month, National Anti-Bullying Month, Family History Month, and American Archives Month. All are very special to me.

My mom had breast cancer, my paternal grandmother, maternal grandaunt, and others suffered from this horrible disease. I have some very dear gay friends who have suffered at the hands of bullies. I have only an inkling of all that horrific feeling. All my life I have been picked on for being so short, wearing glasses, and for being overweight. Several of those gay friends helped me through a time several years ago when I was being bullied. The bullying must stop. I hope I never learn that my fellow genealogists have been the bullies -- we should respect all human lives, loves, and embrace each other in a special way.

Family history month is important because it is a great equalizer. It doesn't matter if we are tall, short, thin, wear glasses, go to church or not, are straight, gay, or can't type! Family history helps us understand what tough times our ancestral families went through. Family history helps us understand who we are. And part of discovering that history comes from research at archives.

Celebrate October and invest in the importance of these four vital designations and all that they mean to our lives. End the month being silly on Halloween. Silly, but not overly teasing, bullying, or forgetting that we are all brothers and sisters. Treat everyone equally in all facets of live.