With a family tree that could extend to the beginning of time, studying your family history can seem daunting. Where do you start? What are you looking for? Why should you search when other family members are doing it?
Family history isn’t meant for one single person in your family to do. Here are five reasons to study your family history.
1. Self-Understanding
Have you ever wondered, “Who am I?” Maybe you know you are a daughter or son, a brother or sister, a wife or a husband. However, have you ever wanted to know more than that?
As humans, we have an innate desire to understand who we are and where we come from. Knowing our family legacy helps us find peace and understand ourselves.
2. Resilience
For many interested in researching their families, they want to know stories of their ancestors and what made them strong. Stories of our ancestors help us appreciate those who fought through challenges to make our lives possible.
Studying our family history helps us preserve stories, save photos and share our legacy with our family to teach them who they are.
3. Preserve Culture & Traditions
When we learn where we come from, we can understand more about the culture and traditions our families celebrated. Some stories we hear teach us why we have been celebrating a certain way for years.
Traditions and culture can bridge gaps between generations in our family as our elders teach the younger generation. Expressing an interest in learning more about past ancestors and traditions can help bond current living relatives together.
4. Medical Knowledge
One important reason to study your family history is to understand your medical history. Many doctor’s offices will have you fill out a pre-appointment form to explain why you are visiting. These forms ask you to indicate if your family has a record of health problems as well.
Knowing the conditions of others in your family gives doctors clue to any medical conditions that may run in your gene pool. For example, if your family has a past of bad hips, it may be a sign that you need hip replacement surgery. Visit aaronaltenburgmd.com if you think this may be the case for you.
5. Connection
Knowing who you are and where you come from helps you not only connect with your past ancestors but also with family you may have lost touch with as you learn their stories. You may also find a connection with people who share your culture or passion in family history. Feeling connected with other people helps us grow and create stories we can pass down in our own families.
Studying your family history may surprise you. Maybe you’ll develop a deep connection with a past relative, discover a new interesting story, or find a perfect baby name. You’ll be surprised by what your family legacy can teach you. Here’s a simple infographic to help you research your family tree.
