One thing that I have realized as I have embarked on the most emotional journey of my lifetime is that genealogy starts with you. The technique I have taken on as far as genealogy goes is to simultaneously search for my ancestors as well as create my legacy, archive, and documentation.
I have learned that genealogy starts with ourselves and goes backward, one generation at a time, taking us on a journey of the unknown into the known. The synchronicity begins to reveal itself. The story of your life becomes intertwined with the lives of your ancestors. Family history continues to evolve through you.
At the beginning of my genealogy journey, I was emotional due to a lack of knowledge about my ancestors, especially my maternal lineage. I was void of stories, pictures, details, and memories of my great grandmother because she died so young. My grandmother was only 9 years old when she passed leaving behind four children. Thankfully, none of them were separated. Her aunt, my great grandfather's sister raised them all.
The blessing in that was that I spent a lot of time with my great aunt. My memories with her will last a lifetime and now that I know what it feels like to have a longing to know what my ancestors were like, I plan to leave a legacy of her stories that are very much a part of my life for my children.
I think we sometimes take time and our lives for granted. What I mean by that is we think living will be forever. We also may not realize that how we live our lives may be interesting enough to document. Many of us have lived a very enriched and inspiring life that our great great grandchildren may need to see. I know for me, it has been the most motivating to see how both of my maternal and paternal lineage have lived through unique sets of challenges but still built a family of love, faith, resilience, and so much beauty.
It shows me what I am capable of. The genetics of strength, excellence, creativity, and entrepreneurship flow through me and will continue to flow generations after me.
Leave a legacy for your children to read to pass down to their children and other family members. Start today with writing your autobiography. You have the chance of a lifetime to tell not only what you did during your lifetime but how and why you did what you did. Tell your unique story that can one day be an heirloom and a point of reference for your great great grandchildren to know from who they come from.