The meaning of family
The Magic of Rotary is belonging, and it’s a feeling that can appear when you least expect it.
Earlier this year, I was in Slovakia serving as a president’s representative during a six-week trip through Europe. When I wrote to Katarina Cechova, governor of District 2240 at the time, I mentioned that my grandmother Veronica Zilka grew up in a small village in the area before settling in the US.
It wasn’t long before Cechova tracked down my grandmother’s village, Jakubova Vol’a. She even organised a visit for me, where I received an unforgettable Slovakian welcome.
When I entered the community centre of Jakubova Vol’a, a small crowd of people dressed in traditional Slovakian clothing greeted me. They sang with beautiful and powerful Central European voices that reminded me of my grandmother.
A lot of families play cards or games when they get together. When I was young, my father would pick up his accordion and lead my family in song. My grandmother would sing along with her impressive voice.
When I walked into the community centre and heard traditional music from my childhood — when I saw a woman play the accordion the way my dad played — I suddenly felt like a little girl sitting at my grandmother’s house in Monessen, Pennsylvania. I burst into tears of joy at the memories.
But the magic didn’t stop there. District Governor Cechova really outdid herself. A local genealogist worked with a videographer to make a short film about my grandmother. We watched the video together in the community centre.
When the video ended, I turned around and saw a man standing in the back of the room. I quickly learned that this stranger, Frantisek Zilka, was my second cousin. His grandmother and mine had been sisters. I felt like I had been struck by lightning.
I visited my newfound cousin’s home, which happens to be the home where my grandmother was born. There, he shared old photographs I had never seen of my dad, my uncle and my grandmother.
Since then, I can’t stop thinking about my family of Rotary. When I refer to you as my family, I’m not just being kind. I really think of everyone in Rotary as my family. But I never would have imagined that my Rotary family would introduce me to long-lost personal family.
Sitting in that community centre listening to traditional Slovakian music from my childhood filled me with joy and a profound sense of belonging. I am so grateful to District Governor Cechova and everyone who helped create that magical experience.
As members of Rotary, we have a unique opportunity to share the same magic with each other and with the world. I encourage you to consider how you can help spread that magic and ensure other members of your club — other members of our Rotary family — feel like they truly belong.
Stephanie A Urchick
President, Rotary International
