WHO IS IN YOUR FAMILY TREE?

Day 3 - 7th October 2009

"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we have come from."

~ Alex Haley ~

author of ROOTS

Dear Ancestor

Your tombstone stands among the rest;

Neglected and Alone.

The name and date are chisled out

on polished Marbled stone.

It reaches out to all who care

it is too late to mourn.

You did not know that I exist

You died and I was born.

Yet each of us are cells of you

In flesh, in blood, in bone.

Our blood contracts and beats a pulse

Entirely not our own.

Dear Ancestor, the place you filled

One hundred years ago

Spreads out among the ones you left

Who would have loved you so.

I wonder if you lived and loved,

I wonder if you knew

that someday I would find this spot,

and come to visit you.

~ Author Unknown ~

Took these photos of a poster in the Family History Centre where I volunteer every week. I love Genealogy, Family History, Tracing your family tree - whatever you choose to call it. Like leaves on a tree, we are all part of a bigger family .... the tree being the family as a whole and the branches, twigs, and leaves the members of the family.

I love doing Family History .... and I have found it can become addictive.

I love the books that claim to be able to help you 'trace your family in 30 days'. I just laugh when I hear that. Depends what family you are looking for. However, about the only family that you will find in 30 days is the one that you live with, and if they are home you'll find them in 5 mins flat. I'm here to tell you that once you start trying to trace your family, if the bug bites you, it is a life long journey.

If you are looking to start tracing your family .... don't think it's a hard task ... just start with yourself and move from there, your parents and their parents. Genealogy is not hard to do, it just takes time and you certainly won't find all of your family overnight. You may become frustrated at sometimes. Sometimes you will find people quickly and other times you will hit brick walls. There may be skeletons in your closet or even convicts, like in mine.

If you've been thinking of tracing your family, why not give it a go.