The knowledge, appreciation and communication of family histories can give us a number of benefits as persons, families, and communities. Family history is not merely charts and names and dates ?it can be strong medicine for negative life experiences that we endure today, increasing our understanding of who we are and encouraging us to deepen our roots for the next generations.
Identity
Knowledge of our cultural beginnings and ancestry can help us form a firm awareness of who we really are. The way we connect to our family backgrounds and develop our own stories about ourselves helps characterize us.
Connection
Keeping relationships with our family – from past to present to future – can satisfy an inborn need in us. All of us crave connection and belongingness. The more we uncover about our ancestors, the stronger we feel connected to them. As we carve our own history, we provide future generations a way to trace their ties with us after we have left.
Compassion
Knowing the history of our forefathers gives us a better understanding of the challenges they went through, and usually, this leads us to have greater love and compassion for their imperfections. This can effortlessly show in how we treat our living family. We all have our own challenges. Keeping this in mind when faced with others’ shortcomings lets us improve as spouses, managers, parents, siblings, and so on.
Resilience
Knowledge of our family history builds strength of character. In going over the lives of our ancestors, we can spot cycles of rising above failures and tough times. Their experiences remind us that some things in life will not be easy, that problems and inequalities exist, but that we can conquer them and still find happiness regardless.
Self-Esteem
We are strengthened by our family history and relationships. While digging into our own family histories, we will see events happening both on a personal level and large scale. Thinking about the immensity of mankind as we read about the Lord’s hand in our ancestors’ lives, tells us of His true love for all of us on a personal level. In His supreme eyes, we are of great value. His love and knowledge of us is beyond measure and transcends time.
Indeed, there is so much more meaning to our family tree than a list of names and birthdates and birthplaces. It’s about what makes us who we are. It’s about people to whom we feel strongly attached. Those who lived and sacrificed and triumphed. It’s about each and every one of us. We would not even exist in this universe if not for our ancestors – literally speaking.