Named

Mosser has been my nickname for 26 years. The way that it came about was by accident. A VERY special person and wonderful human in my life had a speech impediment and pronounced my Christian name Marcia as “Mosser”. Low and behold it was hysterical, it took, and everyone started calling me Mosser because it was fun. The other day my mother reminded me that there had been a Marcia in my family for more than a few consecutive generations. That touched me and as a result, I have been thinking a lot about my Aunt and my namesake Marcia Rogers who was born in 1931 and lived for less than a year. It was always made clear to me how special this was and over the years I have spent a great deal of time thinking about this little person and the mindful reservation of this inheritance. I possess her belongings, which consist of a little tin cup and a silver baby spoon with her name etched on them. After her death, my grandparents drove her tiny coffin to Portland Maine in their Model T to be buried with five of grandmother’s siblings, all of whom passed prematurely from tuberculosis. I often imagine the emotional thickness of that journey, together with their first child, their daughter. I have an inherent understanding that it permanently fused my grandparents, forever solidifying their devotion to one another. Grandmother grieved the loss of her child intensely for the duration of her life and the event probably catalyzed the weight of losing her siblings, all of whom she nursed before their passing. 

The search for my brother, who had been put up for adoption involved formulating an extensive family tree and analyzing DNA. As a result, I developed a passion for my Rogers ancestors, obsessively savoring the details of their lives, motivations, migrations and homestead. Having found my brother, I have the exciting privilege of translating to him the particulars of his genealogy. The Rogers lineage is characterized by entrepreneurial humans who are respectfully woven into their communities: Most notably Hartford and Plainville CT, Portland Maine, Prince Edward Island, England and Scotland. My roots dig deep into the earth, vitalizing a desire to emulate the qualities of the people who made me. I have an appreciation and as odd a concept it might be, I feel a deep love for each of them. Now that I know them, I’ll never be same; I am wealthier in spirit. I have walked straight into the energy field of my ancestors and I hope to do them proud. You can call me Mosser, most people do but, my name is Marcia and I have realized that it’s my most favorite thing I own.