I have four daughters who will one day have children of their own and I wanted them to have what I never did; a link to their past, knowledge of the hardships and successes that their ancestors endured. To help them see that their bloodline has survived through many years of life, love, wars, deaths, and births, never giving up because their is a purpose for us all. It will hopefully give them also a greater understanding of how truly connected everyone is and how families started out from many far away places to make it possible for us to be here now. To appreciate and live each day the best way they know how and to live a life that future generations can be proud of when they look to their past. Learning about our pasts can help us create an even better future.
Tackle Your Research: Carpe Diem!
In searching for ancestors, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the stones still unturned and research yet to be done. As genealogists know, family history research is truly never-ending. With every door that opens, so do many more avenues of research. Many of us have long to-do lists of names to be researched, relatives to interview, places to visit, and more. There are so many reasons why it is important to seize the moment and tackle your long list.
Here are 5 reasons to get to your research, today, and not to delay!
1) Memories become distorted over time. Family stories and anecdotes can get lost from one generation to the next, and by documenting and interviewing relatives now, you can maintain the legacy of your family for the future.
2) Documenting your family history will help strengthen family bonds and build a sense of family. Connecting with distant or unknown relatives through family history research can jump-start relationships that may otherwise not have been initiated.
3) Learning more about your past enables you to impart wisdom and values gained from your ancestors to the next generation as they set out on their own life journeys, providing the next generation with a unique and profound gift.
4) Documenting your family history can make your ancestors more familiar and accessible, even generations later. They can then be remembered even by those who never knew them.
5) There are no words to describe the euphoria that you feel when you uncover a genuinely-certified piece of information about one of your ancestors!
With every day that passes, we are working hard on new technologies to help make family history discoveries easier than ever. In just the past year here at MyHeritage, we have digitized and indexed millions of new historical records on SuperSearch, released Global Name Translation™, a unique technology to help break through genealogical language barriers, and introduced Instant Discoveries™, enabling multiple individuals and photos to be added to existing family trees in just a few clicks.
What are your reasons for researching and documenting your family history?
Renee
November 2, 2015
It is fascinating to find out where my ancestors came from. Although most of my ancestors were Dutch, some were French Huguenots, some Scaninavian, some English and some came via Malaysia!