The purpose of researching your family history
Why do I research my family history? What purpose does that play in my life? Where is the balance between living for the day, looking back and looking forward? I thought about these questions as I studied a number of facts related to my extended family's history today. Why do I research my family history? From my earliest days I heard story after story about my family's history. My mom loved connecting the dots between people. She was always introducing me to people wherever we met and telling me stories about those people and how they connected to our lives. Further both Mom and Dad loved getting together with family. They derived great joy from family gatherings and celebrations. The extended family was a centerpiece of my life as a child, and that's where my desire to understand our family history started. As I research family history, I enjoy looking for trends that cross generations. For example, as I research my husband's family, I note their resilience in the ...