Adobe Stock: Generative AI Doing genealogy is good for us No matter how you define it, learning family traditions, story, lore, and placing ourselves into the flow of history is good for our health. And for those of us who do research, the thrill of discovery and of connecting with cousins can't be beat. Pure joy. There have been some academic studies about the value of knowing our family and community history for youngsters, but we don't need studies to know that those benefits stay with us all our lives. In this increasingly fragmented world, a sense of belonging keeps us centered . Those who plan or attend family reunions often build memories that last for a lifetime.  Milestone celebrations  such a births, birthdays, shared holidays, graduations, engagements, weddings, housewarmings, homecomings and funerals are fundamental ways of structuring family ties, even when our relatives and ancestors leave us. There is something solemn and sacred about leaving flowers on a grave;...

Connecting people. Image courtesy of Dreamstime Doing Genealogy When we first start "doing genealogy" we're finding records, noting what we find, and trying to make sense of it all. As time goes on, we may turn into hobbyists, and begin using forms, consulting books, online repositories, and perhaps, building a tree on our computers, online, or both.  Eventually, it grows so much we don't know what we have, or where! This is where all those "genealogy do-over" or "filing Fridays" projects start. Both of those might be useful in your situation, but here is the ruling principle that can bring quality into your work and peace into your heart: genealogy projects using the Genealogical Proof Standard , the GPS . This principle is what professional genealogists use, but it is not for pros only. Fortunately, it's not a secret; it is the key to effective and efficient work for researchers all around the world.  Genealogical Proof Standard GPS Shapes a...

    Assyrian clay tablet of proverbs from the Library of Ashurbanipal, Kouyunjik, Iraq. The British Museum, London. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 After watching the final episode of " A Brief History of the Future " on PBS, I recommend everyone watch it. We are surrounded by rapid change, and it can get scary sometimes. This long-form documentary is full of inspiring or even fun examples of people working together to create the world they want to see, in their own corner of the world.  It is an extended look at what It means to be human, which is to say to work in community, thinking together, figuring out how to make change work for all of us. PBS.org  says, “A Brief History of the Future,” [is] a unique PBS documentary series hosted by renowned futurist Ari Wallach. Ari unites perspectives from different fields, professions, geographic locations and walks of life to explore “being human.” From art to architecture, there are plenty of ways to think about our shared humanity and w...