Dr. Eva Jackson describes a family tradition of annual October gatherings, tracing values passed down from ancestors—especially a compassionate blacksmith great-great-grandfather—and how those practices shape caregiving, community, and her life after an MS diagnosis.
A longstanding family reunion in October preserves stories, traditions, and practical lessons about mutual aid.
An entrepreneurial blacksmith ancestor modeled choosing compassion over profit, influencing generational values.
Family practices—growing food, bartering, sharing—are treated as everyday responsibilities rather than occasional acts.
# What the gathering looks like
# The ancestor who set the example One ancestor stands at the center of the story: Dr. Jackson's great-great-grandfather, a blacksmith who became the family's first known entrepreneur after the Emancipation Proclamation. He made wagon wheels, caskets, and andirons. The detail Dr. Jackson emphasizes is less the goods he produced than the choices he made when people could not pay.
# Everyday practices that teach values Dr. Jackson recounts practical family habits she learned growing up: tending a garden, bartering for goods, and delivering fresh vegetables to relatives. These were not framed as special events but as normal, expected ways of living. The family treated caring for neighbors and relatives as routine responsibility—the idea that it "takes a village" and that the village extends beyond blood relatives to anyone you meet and welcome.
She intentionally passes these lessons on to her children, friends, and extended family so the values are lived rather than merely remembered.
# How this legacy connects to Dr. Jackson's life today Dr. Jackson identifies as a guest blogger for MSAA and provides background: she holds a Doctorate in Management (Organizational Development and Change), a Master of Science in Leadership, and a Bachelor of Art in Social Services. She and her husband previously co-owned an event planning, catering, and decorating business called NikLiz Designs.
After a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Dr. Jackson's career shifted. She continues to provide management consulting, participates in crafting activities, and volunteers as a Peer Connections Leader. She also works as an MS activist with the National MS Society. The narrative links the family ethic of service and community to her volunteer and professional choices after diagnosis.
# What the story leaves you with The piece connects a specific family history and a set of concrete behaviors—gardening, bartering, sharing food—with a moral habit: choosing compassion in everyday economic and social decisions. Dr. Jackson frames those choices as a way to honor ancestors by living the lessons rather than only recounting them.
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