A Few Benefits of Researching Your Family History

The old adage says that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.  How true that is when it comes to genealogy research!  You probably look more like your grandmother than you thought now that you’ve seen that photo from her debutante ball.  That red hair you have?  Oh, that’s courtesy of that great-grandpa you never knew.  Besides some specific traits you may learn about as you speak to various relatives, there is plenty more information to discover when you aim to explore your family history systematically through genealogy research.  Exploring your family history is a path to learning more about your people – who they were/are, when and where they lived, what events shaped their lives, how they worked and played, what was important to them, what they intended to pass on to their descendants and why, the stories they left untold.  If you have wondered or pondered these things before, you probably already realize how vital it is to know about your history.  If you are still a little skittish about figuratively climbing your family tree or picking up some of the apples that have fallen near it, here are some reasons to consider taking action now.  You will create opportunities to:

• find out the names of your ancestors and learn more about their lives
• learn more about your national history and your family’s role in it
• strengthen the cultural ties you already have
• broaden your horizon and learn about the cultural roots you never knew
• learn practical information like your family’s medical and military history 
• meet new, living relatives and maybe even plan a reunion
• educate your children about your family and give them a sense of personal history and culture
• organize your discoveries into a portfolio that will assist you in joining historical societies that require documentation of lineage
• expand your social network by connecting with other people around the world who are interested in genealogy, in general, or your family, in particular
• improve connections with your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. by including them in your research

I came up with these benefits off the top of my head, but maybe you have more ideas you’d like to share.  I hope you will.