He's not alone. Interest in family history or genealogy has surged in the last century, and we have helps like never before. My grandmother, whose grandparents are in that sweet photo above, did genealogy research the old-fashioned way--through books in the library, discovering a third-cousin somewhere in Missouri, and exchanging handwritten letters. Microfilm changed her life, but today there are websites such as www.ancestry.com and www.familysearch.org that make research and connections much easier. There are even {family history centers} scattered throughout the country. Search "genealogy blogs" in Google and there are a plethora!
Earlier this year, I was thrilled to be asked to be a regular contributor on a brand new website called Evolve: live.grow.give. This uplifting blog focuses on inspiration, developing talents, and learning something new. The blog owner asked me to write each week about family history--not just family history in the past, but family history (you could call them family stories) in the present.
I really like to delve in deep into what "family history" means TO US today! It's more than just walking around a cemetery looking for names and dates. I write more about the WHY. Why does knowing your family history make a difference? What can you do if you can't find out more about family history than you already know? How does knowing family history affect children? What difference does it make? How does it benefit you personally?
And I want to show more ways to preserve your family stories than pedigree charts alone. There are so many ways to make connections and so many possibilities for your story, so WHY NOT find something that fits your needs and works for you. So that's another major focus I have on Evolve.
UPDATE: All posts originally found on Evolve, which retired in 2019, can be found right here at this blog, LifeTales Books, on Fridays from March 3, 2017, through October 26, 2018. Find them in the Blog Archive at the right sidebar (near the bottom) or search the hashtag #familyhistoryfriday
If you haven't started creating your family stories yet, whether from generations past or from your own life today, here's an article to get you started: {Creating Family Stories}.
And if you're not sure what family history has to do with your everyday life, this article can help: {What Does My Everyday Life Have to do with Family History?}
Make connections!
