Family Tree

The following information could really enrich your life:
(At least that is my goal).

I recently discovered a really intriguing, addicting pass-time. It is completely free. It sucks you in more than Pinterest, but it actually satisfies you. It is "screen" media, but ends up connecting you with members of your family who you usually can't associate with. It makes you feel smarter, more unique, and more confident. It feels like a treasure hunt and no matter what you find it is a pleasant delight. It is this website called FamilySearch.org.

Now I have known about FamilySearch for awhile, seeing as in my church we are constantly encouraged to learn more about our families and create pedigrees of our ancestors. I have had a lot of exposure to it, but up until this year I kind of associated it with feelings of dread because I knew that I was supposed to log on and search and search and search for these little green symbols that represent gaps in my family tree:

The only problem is that it is SO hard to find them in my family tree. So I didn't really like spending time on FamilySearch. However in my family history class we are doing all sorts of genealogy assignments that have nothing to do with finding these gaps. Instead we are focusing on getting to know ancestors that are already listed but in much greater depth. I got to call up my grandma in Virginia and talk with her for an hour about her parents. My uncle sent me this picture of them:

Aren't they lovely? Can you imagine the moments that created each wrinkle?

I never met them, but hearing her describe them I felt like I was reuniting with old friends. She described how my great-great-grandmother used to make a pie crust that was so flaky you couldn't even hold it in your hand.

So that's where I get it! 

She told me about their hopes and dreams and failures. She shared with me her cherished memories. I got to write the whole thing up and share it under my great-grandmother's name on FamilySearch.

I love that media provides me with a way to get to know these people--not just my ancestors that have already passed on, but my grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles still living. It brings us together. It makes me proud of all the people I am connected to, and fills me with hope and anticipation of all the joy we will share together, and all the exquisitely painful experiences we may share as well. There is something deeply wonderful that awakens in my core, way deep down, when I feel connected to my family. That must be what this life is all about.

So please, go to FamilySearch.org and create an account for yourself. You will be amazed by the details you can find; the records that evidence that these people actually existed. You will feel a new anchor in your life as you discover your roots. You will find great peace in who you are.