What is genealogy? What springs to mind when you think of it? A boring pastime for librarians and historians?
I’ll give you a few reasons why that is very much not the case, but first, here are some practical applications of genealogy that definitely apply to you: · Genealogy allows us to trace diseases and causes of death from your ancestors, discovering patterns and potentially saving your life. · It connects us with living relatives that we otherwise would have never known exist. · It gives us an identity through identifying a nationality, ethnicity, and a background full of tradition. · The principles and methods of genealogy can be used to identify the anonymous dead. · It can be used in a legal context to distribute the estate of those passed on; genealogy could help you get the inheritance you didn’t know you were entitled to.
But above all else, genealogy is an adventure. It’s a vehicle for discovery. Though seemingly housed in the medium of tedious methodology, the gems of knowledge that genealogy unearths can and will change your life. Genealogy can forever change everything you thought you knew about the person you know best.. yourself.
