Prosperity is a noun which is by definition  a the state of being prosperous;  Wealthy, successful, profitable, affluence, the good life, good fortune, life of luxury, plenty….. according to the web site http://www.dictionary.com.

This is another interesting and thought provoking topic this week. I like to give my self time to think about the weekly topic. This week my first thought was…I have nothing to write this week!

Most of my ancestors were common hard working people. They came to America looking for a better way of life. They certainly hoped for prosperity, a good life and maybe a bit of good fortune that they believed they could not find where they were living. They came looking for a piece of land that they could own or a job that they could do to provide better living conditions for their family. They were looking for opportunities that for one reason or another had eluded them in their homeland. They were hopeful, hard working people.

They received land, improved it and farmed it. They were people who provided basic services that enriched the lives of others. They were blacksmiths, wagon makers, tailors, cobblers, inn and store keepers, milk maids, circuit riders and clergy. They worked on the early railroad and in the auto industry. They were builders, masons and years later, electricians and plumbers.
And when they needed to fight for the freedom that their newly adopted country brought to them, they did. They served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. They were the common folks who thru hard work and dedication to freedom contributed to the forming of this great country of ours. They were all very prosperous people in their own right. They may not have fit the definition that I listed above in the eyes of other people but in there own eyes and mine, they were prosperous.