If you are like me, you just know innately why to build a family tree or more specifically, YOUR family tree. But, if you are like many other people, you need a motivator to begin your family tree. In this my first blog post, I will briefly discuss why you should do this. In truth there are many reasons to build your tree. Since I am by nature a lifelong learner of all things I had to really think about my reasons and how to impart them to you, my readers. So, I will jump right in here with reason number one.
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Reason # 1
Understanding your roots. You can tell your children or other family members where they fit in the world (yes, even in this crazy COVID world). Traditions, beliefs, ideas, rituals, and habits all have roots in our family trees. Sometimes it helps to understand how others in the past acted within our families to understand those actions within our modern families.
Reason # 2
“If we don’t know where we came from, how will we know where we may be heading.” We’ve all probably heard a variation of this quotation. But it is absolutely true. Perhaps we have heard some family folklore or actual facts and we either want to follow that lead, or we don’t want to repeat those mistakes made by our ancestors. By transferring and applying what they learned or did to our current lives we can hopefully make this world a better place.
Reason # 3
Develop a hobby. Sometimes we need to make a change in our lives as far as how we like to spend our free time. It may be because of physical constraints, emotional issues, or just looking for a new pastime.
Reason # 4
Learn some history. I’m talking about true history, not the glossed over, spun facts, or what most of us learned from our history textbooks in school. Once we get interested in our own family’s history, we can apply the true historical context of the era in which we are researching by digging deeper and behind those facts that we were made to regurgitate back to our teachers in tests and examinations.
Reason # 5
Learn how to write in a concise and interesting way. I don’t know about you, but I struggled with English composition in high school. I never thought I really “got it.” It seemed like a canned formula to which I did not want to adhere. I was a teenager in the late 1960s when society was becoming a bit looser, I was trying to think outside of the box and to me that did not include a formula for writing an essay or a term paper. Yes, I was kind of a hippie!
Later in life I learned that some of my least conforming friends became writers, poets, or novelists by applying those ground rules of composition to their writing. I guess they were both free thinkers and rule followers! So, when we create our family tree, and in addition begin writing our family histories, we sometimes need to go back to those basics that we learned in school.
Reason # 6
Feed a passion. Now, I’ve been through several “passions” in my life but few as engaging and interesting as learning about my own family. There are almost always some surprises there. This passion has brought sentiment, warmth, zeal, excitement, and joy to my life. Yes, to some it may seem dull but once we let our imaginations go and allow ourselves to feel what our ancestors felt regarding certain situations family history can be quite interesting and fulfilling.
Reason # 7
Continue the learning process. I am not writing this blog only for the older crowd, but it is here where I must discuss the fact that keeping our brains working is of utmost importance. Brain plasticity or neuroplasticity as it is called, is especially important. The definition of neuroplasticity is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neurons making new connections to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. In fact, part of the body’s ability to recover after damage to the brain can be explained by the damaged area getting better, but most is the result of neuroplasticity. Put plainly, if you stop learning your brain begins to die.
Reason # 8
Discover who those people in your old family photographs are. If you are like I once was, you or someone in your family may have had a box of vintage or antique photographs of which you may have had no idea who the subjects are. By creating a family tree, you may begin to form some ideas to their identity. You may become the envy of your family in identifying those long-lost ancestors! There are many websites and blogs that may guide your research as far as the dating of those photos. One such blog or website is “Are You My Cousin?”
Reason # 9
Dispel those family myths or prove if they are actually true. Sometimes stories have been handed down in one’s family about our ethic origins or other happenings in our family. There was a story in my family that my maternal great-grandmother paid for the arranged adoption of her daughter and that it was never legalized. Through creating my family tree and then researching further at newspapers.com I was able to find out the true story that the adoption was legal and ordered in a court of law.
Reason # 10
Escape reality for a while. Is someone in your home watching and listening to a noisy football game or is someone watching an infomercial in which you have no interest? I have often been in this situation. If you can find a quiet place in your home, you can do some family history research.
Reason # 11
Impact a monetary inheritance. Perhaps you can find a key to a family inheritance that you never knew to have existed. Applying the knowledge learned by building your family tree to the present day, you may be able to discover a link to someone who recently died intestate possibly to claim an inheritance. Granted, it may be a long shot but one worth pursuing if your family is in that position.
Reason #12
Learn more about DNA and its impact on your family tree. Genetic genealogy is a new and growing area of genealogy. Maybe you have thought about testing your own DNA. Of course, you would need to test with one of the DNA companies that offer those services. By becoming an amateur DNA detective, you may create a branching out of your interest in creating a family tree and writing your family’s history. Ancestry, https://you.23andme.com, and https://myhertitage.com, are just three of the myriad of companies that do DNA testing. A simple internet search will bring up a choice of others.
Reason # 13
Discover clues to family diseases. While researching and delving further into your family tree you may come across death certificates for ancestors. While it may sound morbid to some, to others it is a treasure trove of information especially if you may see certain causes of death on those certificates that repeat themselves throughout your paternal or maternal line. This information may lead you to practice prevention of, or to avoid those diseases since the medical field has advanced greatly in the past one hundred or so years.
Reason # 14
Adoption clues. Does a person in your family tree seem to just not fit in for a variety of reasons? Does someone in your family know they are adopted but have no further information. A closer look at the family tree you are building may shine some light on those reasons. There are Facebook pages that are specifically geared to assisting people with finding biological relatives. One of the more popular Facebook pages devoted to this subject is https://facebook.com/groups/DNADetectives. You must have a Facebook account and then apply to the group to join.
Reason # 15
Proof of membership for lineage societies. There are hundreds of lineage societies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, The Mayflower Society, and King’s Daughters , among most others all require proof of lineage that usually begin with researching and building your family tree. Proof of lineage also must include citing of references concerning those ancestors.
In conclusion, there are many reasons to indulge yourself in building and creating your family tree. It takes and time and patience but can be a very engaging and enjoyable pastime.
Enjoy and Be Happy!!!
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