Genealogy is a subject that people either understand or don't understand. I've met some people who feel that there's no sense in researching your roots, while others, like myself, feel the need to know who came before them. To me, family research gives me a greater sense of personal history, as well as a sense of identity and association. This work also gives me an outlet for the researcher in me - always needing to know more about any subject that holds mysteries or other elements of the unknown.
Today, I spent the best part of the afternoon working on my family tree while answering queries from 4 other people doing the same thing. One of them turned out to be a distant cousin of mine, 2 of them are likely distant relatives of my husband, and I can't really tell with the 4th person. I've already located, confirmed, and actively communicated with 2 other cousins on my husband's side and located other distant relatives who continue to reside in Ireland in the same house that has been in their family for over 150 years.
When I get the rare opportunity to work on this project, I continue to be amazed at how far back I've gone. Amid the people who've come before me is a history of the world. My research has taken me all over the U.S., Europe and the British Isles. One side of my family goes back to the first millenia. I believe I've gone back (although I'm sure many of the dates are approximations) to the 400's in ancient Scotland and Ireland, back to when the Scotti tribe of Ireland traveled to what is now Scotland, and defeated the Vikings, Picts, and the Saxons. Those records are sparse, but they at least give me a wonderful picture of who I am inside and the history that I belong to.
Sometimes, by going home, you find out more about yourself than you could have ever imagined.
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