Five Things I Learned While Climbing My Family Tree.
Spoiler: It's more than records
When I began my family history journey, I anticipated learning names, dates, and even the locations my family once lived. Yet, those weren’t the only things that crept up while I researched. Genealogy opened my eyes in many ways, reinforcing life myths I knew weren’t actually that—myths. As I peeled back the layers of my ancestors’ lives, I discovered more profound things, and here are a few of them.
One—Life is short. No, really. It is. We have been told and heard this over and over (and over) in our lives, but it is 100% true and very easy to visualize when you look at vital records. Birth. Marriage. Death.
Two—100 years is not a long time, and most of us won’t live that long, which makes it even shorter.
Three—If you’re not nice to family and friends after you die, they will do everything in their power to erase you from their lives. No photos. No obituary. No mention in any will. In doing so, they erase you from history.
Four—Regret is real. You will see it in Last Will and Testaments. You will find it tucked between the lines in obituaries. You will feel it in letters and postcards. Sometimes, it pops up in newspapers, too.
And, finally,
Five—Just because your most recent ancestor wasn’t nice doesn’t mean their relatives were kind, generous, and worth learning about. The nature versus nurture debate has continued for a long time. While I don’t have answers to which is correct, I do know some ancestors pick themselves over everyone and everything (see number three), but I also know others choose kindness.
Genealogy research isn’t only about names, dates, and locations. It’s about the essence of humanity and understanding what our ancestors lived through and experienced. It’s about what they survived and what led to us being here.
While it can be rewarding to learn what country your ancestors originated from, it’s even more profound to discover how precious our lives are, how fast they move along, and what legacy we all leave when we’re gone.
Aryn Youngless is a genealogist based in Los Angeles. To learn more about her services, head over to GenealogybyAryn.com.
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