Genealogy featured on NBC's Today Show

I just finished watching NBC's Today Show episode of Meredeth Vieira's search for her roots on one of the islands of the Azores, Portugal. Meredeth traveled to the islands with one of her teen-aged sons and a nephew. She was very fortunate to find some of her Flemish and Portuguese ancestors and their descendants still living on the island. I was very touched when I saw Meredith meeting one of her aged female ancestors (I believe her name was Anna). I say "saw" because Anna was or had become speechless. I suspect she had become senile, unfortunately. What stories Anna could have told of the family's history.

At least Meredeth had a chance to see an old family photograph in which she was able to compare herself, as a young girl, with another girl who was once of the same age. That girl in the old family portrait was now the aged and silent Anna. The physical similarity was remarkable.

On the show, we were shown the old house behind the church in which Meredeth's grandfather was baptized. Also, we saw another family house in the port village, the door rusted and melded shut with age and a few old trunks rotting away inside. The episode was very emotional for me to watch- because I have experienced many of the same feelings that Meredeth felt as she toured her family's homelands and learned of some the colorful culture out of which she came. I believe she finally learned how to correctly pronouce her surname, Vieira; now, if she could just learn to trill her R's.

Bravo NBC's Today Show; I was greatly motivated to keep searching for my own roots and to preserve it for future generations. Someday, someone may appreciated it. Because like the old house in Merideth's video, the door to the past will eventually be stuck closed and then rot into dust. Some of it already has.

References and Links:
I could not immediately see Meredeth's genealogy episode on the Today Show's web site. Perhaps it will show up later. However, the episode appears to be part of a series beginning 25 Aug 2008. In the meantime we can keep looking for a reference at the Show's homepage:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

Try the following link and click on the video, "Meredith Discovers her Roots":
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26389261#26389261