This holiday season is the perfect time to get excited about exploring your family tree. For motivation, I invited Caroline Guntur to share some of her genealogy expertise with us:
Discover the Story of Your Ancestry
We are a people of stories. We hear hundreds of stories everyday, and if you pay attention, you’ll notice that most of what you share with others are also stories. Yet, most of them are stories that don’t matter much, from the Facebook post of who cooked what for dinner, to the news stories of who said what to whom. This is the reason why I love family history. It’s a different kind of story. One that matters, not only to you, but to the people you love and to those who’ll come after you. Can you imagine a more personal and meaningful gift for your family members?
Discovering why you are who you are is one of the most powerful journeys you could ever imagine. It completely changes your outlook on life. It makes you realize what a miracle you are, just for being born. There are so many events that could have prevented YOU from happening. It makes you grateful and tolerant towards others, and it keeps you humble.
Genealogy changed my life, when at 15 years of age, I received a classroom ancestry assignment. I went home and asked my mom what we knew about our family, and her answer was a blank stare. She said “We just didn’t talk about it much, so I don’t know.” I suspect that rings true for many families. As I started searching, I was amazed at the amount of information I found. I discovered a journal written by my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather that told his story of being shipwrecked off the coast of Cadiz, Spain. I discovered that I’m a direct descendant of some of the most powerful figures in history. I got confirmation that yes, I have a bit of England in me (which I suppose explains my strong affinity for afternoon tea and scones). These discoveries led me to where I am today, and I am now honored to be able to discover the same type of life-changing stories for my clients.
Imagine what you can discover in this digital age! When I did much of my research years ago, I had to set aside day after day to visit the archives for every little thing. Now, we have access to so much more with just the click of a button. Everything is obviously not available online yet, but so much has become much more accessible, and with the popularity of DNA testing continually rising, there’s been no better time to start exploring.
Genealogy can be an overwhelming topic and it takes years to master how to research efficiently, how to cite your sources, and how to analyze evidence, but it just takes curiosity to begin. So, what is one thing you’d like to know about yourself?
Thank you Caroline! You can contact at her website above or use one of these links:
Email: caroline@theswedishorganizer.com
Facebook: @TheSwedishOrganizer
Twitter: @CarolineGuntur or @SwedGenealogist