The antique gold mirror hangs on the wall over my Aunt’s dining room table, a shining beacon. When you walk into the house, it is the first thing that catches your eye, and little do many know, the mirror has been in our family for over 200 years. Though the glass was replaced, the frame of the mirror is original.  My family came over from Scotland in 1635 when a man named Robert B immigrated for new prospects. He started a family in New York, and for many years, Robert's family stayed in New England. The mirror was rumored to have hung in the mansion of a different Robert, who fought in George Washington’s army and was one of the founders of the first military honor, the Purple Heart.  This shining mirror has been passed through generations of Robert B's, eventually landing with my Aunt. The huge family is seen throughout the ages, and the name has multiple different spellings.  The first Robert B traveled to North America with the wind carrying him to a new life that would be hard, yet would be one that he felt fulfilled our family motto, Virescit, Vulnere, Virtuous; courage flourishes at a wound. This part of my family came over so early that I can only imagine the experience of my ancestor, but I find the story represented by the mirror, a gilded reminder of the past.

– Eloise W.

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more