Self Help

Tracing your family tree helps build a sense of ethnic identity. This is important for young and old alike. It gives a feeling of being part of a bigger whole. The idea of honoring one’s ancestors has been around a long time, but people honor their ancestors in many different ways. Remembering them and preserving their life stories is just one way.

Other people join a lineage or patriotic society as a way of remembering their ancestors and carrying on their goals and good works. Most require you to prove a specific lineage in order to join. Membership in some societies is based on proving your ancestor was one of the first settlers in a county or state.

History is more than just textbooks. It comes alive when you participate in historical reenactments, share your love of antiques, or travel to historic places. It is an enjoyment of biographies of famous people and a love of historical novels. Genealogy is so much fun that many public school teachers use it to make the past come alive for their students. Even some colleges and universities offer courses in family and oral history.

Genealogists develop an interest for history as soon as they learn that it helps them find their ancestors. History is the key to knowing what types of records were created, where they are kept, and why some of them may be missing.

The more you know about the history of the times in which your ancestor lived, the better your chances of finding information about that person’s life. This also means your chances of tracing your family tree back another generation are greater. Genealogy is about real people.

After all, people are human whether they live today or lived hundreds of years ago. A study of genealogy and history teaches us not to judge others too readily while helping us avoid the mistakes of the past.

Religions around the world teach an appreciation and reverence for one’s ancestors. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( also called Mormons,) tracing their family trees is a matter of religious conviction. In Southern California, we often take visiting relatives to see the Catholic Mission at San Juan Capistrano where you see the physical reminders that those of the Catholic faith also care for their deceased family members.

There are also many reasons to search out and record your ancestors’ health histories. Just a few generations of a health history show family predispositions for certain types of diseases such as heart problems, diabetes, or cancer. This is something we should all be recording and preserving for our descendants.

In addition, genealogy gives your brain a good workout. For those who are getting on in years, it is a case of use it or lose it. One of the nicest things about genealogy is that you tend to get better at it the longer you do it. Staying mentally sharp adds to longevity. Genealogy keeps you mentally active and involved in life.