I remember burning all my journals when I was about 14 because I was so embarrassed of what I had written. There was no way I was going to let any of my posterity read them. Well, hindsight is 20/20 and I'm so annoyed with my teenage self for burning those notebooks!

Family history can be similar in a sense that people only want to remember the good things and leave out the bad. It's understandable that you don't want to tarnish someone's good name, but when we choose favorites and ignore some of history, we're eliminating the chance someone else will learn from that ancestor's mistakes.

For instance, I have some men and women in my own family tree that weren't perfect.

If you've read my post on Amelia Evans, you've been introduced to my third-great-grandfather, Williams Washington Camp. He was a cotton plantation owner who owned many slaves. My ancestor was his his sixth wife, and, after five years of marriage, he accused her of murdering their 5-month-old daughter. According to their divorce record, he also beat and whipped her.

Though I'm not Williams Washington's biggest fan by a long shot, I am a huge fan of Amelia. I admire her resilience and bravery. At almost nine months pregnant, she divorced her husband in a time when women couldn't even own property. She remarried a few months later to a man with a sense of humor who loved her. Knowing Williams' story helps me be more grateful for Amelia and the choices she made.

Williams Washington Camp, Amelia Evans Camp, and two of their children

Another of my third-great-grandfathers, John Nye Sr, moved his wife and six children to Australia in search of gold. They moved multiple times across miles of terrain to find work. He and his wife, Charlotte, didn't get along well but couldn't afford a divorce. While John and their son, Stephen, were traveling to sell supplies to gold miners, Charlotte took her other five sons and daughter and left. She felt that Stephen was her husband's favorite, so she left him with his father.

Talk about a jaw-dropper on both sides! John, who was constantly striving for wealth he never attained, and Charlotte, who left one of her children behind when leaving her husband. They're an example of what NOT to do in a marriage and that things work out a lot better when a husband and wife are on the same page with their family goals.

Not all experiences are poor examples, but could be deemed as embarrassing. One of my favorites is of my third-great-grandmother Hannah Jane Jones. She married Thomas Harper when she was 22 and he was 30. After they had been married 29 years, Thomas took a 17-yr-old second wife. At this point, Hannah was 47 years old. They had six children olderthan this new wife and their youngest was just three.

Hannah put an end to the honeymoon when she became tired of doing the morning chores alone. She "dampened the flame of love" for the newlyweds by dousing the couple with a bucket of cold water while they lingered in bed.

Seriously? This woman was awesome! Not only did she show the new young wife who was boss, but reminded her husband of the same thing. I can't wait to meet her in the next life because I'm pretty sure I get some of my spunk from her.

Whether it's an alcoholic or a horse thief, we're all bound to have a few skeletons in our family closet. They may not be adored, but they shouldn't be ignored. If there are things in your own life that your progeny can learn from, record it. It's both the good and the bad that make us human.

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