Like the oak trees in this image, it is time for Floramont to branch out. This photo was taken the day after attending a virtual annual conference about Franco American heritage. This conference served as a homecoming of sorts. However, I quickly discovered that my section of the family tree branched out much earlier than the ancestors of most of the attendees, resulting in a vastly different life experience. Like the oak tree in this photo, there is one main trunk, and let's say it represents Québec, but the branches are going in different directions, resulting in seedlings that may travel further, like our ancestors. I could continue with the analogy, but you probably get it.
The last set of articles were heavily focused on French Canadian ancestry. I will always be proud of that special branch of the family tree. And, I am so proud that my ancestors had the courage and abilities to explore other frontiers. Even though this journal will start including other cultures again, there will always be room for more Québecois and Acadian stories, just not in the myopic manner of the past several weeks. Update since this article was written: The purpose of Floramont is now "Cultivating French Roots in North America."
Thank you to my cousins who attended the conference. You unknowingly reminded me that other facets of ourselves deserve to be recognized. After all, wouldn't that oak tree look odd if we lopped off one of those main branches? Like the proverbial bull in the china cabinet, you let this little southern heifer roam around the sturdy French-Canadian cabinet. What a tidy cabinet, too! Québec, you are always in my heart. Acadia, I will always share your story.
I could keep going with sappy sentimentalism, but who wants that? Just know that new things are on the horizon for Floramont, and I can't wait to share them with you!