Resolve missed connections that span generations. You'll fill in the blanks of your own life story and perhaps find some unexpected companionship along the way.
The need for connection is not unique to this pandemic. It is ever-present, visible through our smart phones to text, social media to share snippets of our lives at the push of a button, computer programs for businesses to make collaboration easy, and endless other technological adaptations that have made uniting with others a common feat . But… we do still rely on the simpler things: the bustle of a bar at happy hour, the warmth of laughing with a loved one, the comfort of a game night with friends, the freedom of a plane ticket and a beach chair. In a time where these physical connections are impossible, it is incredibly easy to feel isolated despite having the digital world at our fingertips. For those of us who do not live with our families, the distance between two homes has likely never felt greater. A phone call or Facetime can satisfy a momentary, immediate need, but nothing really beats a hug from a parent or grandparent or sibling.
We are being forced to get creative with our connections. From Facebook, to Zoom, to Google Hangouts, there are so many ways to fill up the extra down time we now all find ourselves with.
One very different way to get connected, however, is by getting to know people that you never even knew existed–
People that will help you comprehend why you are the way you are and teach you about where you came from. Ancestry.com may be most famous for the mail-order DNA kits that they offer, but the rewards of diving into your family research yourself are immeasurable, especially now. It all starts with a phone call – you call up your grandmother and ask her for the maiden name of her grandmother. Ask her what her grandpa did for a living. Ask about where she grew up and when her parents were born. Listen to her stories. Write down names and places and dates. You are beginning to build the foundation of knowledge of the reason you are in existence.
A basic Ancestry subscription starts at $24.99 per month, but look at it this way: take the money you would have spent on going to see a movie, or a girls’ night out, or snacks at a sporting event, and put it towards discovering yourself through your ancestors. You can search by name, date, place, and more. You can find military records, old photos, marriage certificates, and even distant family members who are searching for information just like you.
This way, you are not only reinforcing your connections through traditional methods, opening a conversation with your living family members, but you are diving into connections with people you would never have gotten to know otherwise. I learned that my Scottish great-great-great (seven times great!) grandfather was a published poet and was able to purchase his book on Amazon.
I found photographs of the church in England where my distant grandparents got married, baptized their children, and were eventually buried. (Photo credits: All Saints Cockermouth)
I discovered artwork displayed in the Oslo Museum of Art that was painted by my many times-great grandfather. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Share your findings with your people. Your less technologically-savvy family members likely would never find out any of the material available without your searching skills and determination.
Give them the gift of information – Ancestry gives you the power to connect yourself to those you love today, and connect all of you to those who have gone before you to make that present love possible.
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