The Surprising Reason Learning About My Family History Saved My Life
I never really asked my grandfather many questions and in the end that's how I found the importance of learning my family history. Unfortunately, COVID took away my chance to do so forever, as he died early on in the pandemic. But, after his death, my mother began to tell me stories about him that made me want to know more about him. She told me that he was a kind and gentle man, and that he was a pivotal force in helping shape the city of Phoenix in the it's early days. One day, while surfing the internet, I stumbled across a website that really taught me the importance of learning family history. I was not prepared for what I found out.
I discovered that my grandfather was not only an important figure in the city's history, but he was also one of the first from our family to graduate from college. He went on to become a doctor and help countless people in his community. Learning about my grandfather's history made me feel proud and motivated me to do more with my life. The importance of learning about my family's history was clear because I would have never known how truly amazing my grandfather was. And I am grateful that I now have a better understanding of where I come from.
If you feel it’s important to learn about your own family history, there are a number of resources available online to do so. I'd suggest starting with a site like Time Capsule to capture your family history and putting it into a book that you can keep for generations. The thing I loved most about Time Capsule is that they're experts in picking the questions and asking them to my loved ones in a way thats easy for them, no matter how technologically challenged they are. They simply asked a question a week and I was able to follow the whole process. Our family LOVED IT and all agree that it's absolutely important to learn about our families history.
It was such a special gift to be able to give them.
Learning About Family History Is Rewarding In The Best Way
For me, the most amazing piece of my experience with Time Capsule was what I learned about my family's history. I grew up with extremely math focused, Type A family members, and as an artist never felt understood. I always felt like an outsider.. Then I heard a story about my grandfather's desire to be a painter in college and the secret sketchbooks that had been hidden away in storage my whole life! OMG, I was brought to tears when I got a hold of them. I couldn't believe how valuable learning about my family history turned out to be.The way he wrote about his secret passion and even the style of the lines were the same as mine! For the first time in my life, I truly felt I was part of my family story and understood where I came from! Learning about my family’s history was amazing. Even my siblings and mom softened a bit when they saw the uncanny similarities.
Since then I I've been much more inspired in my art and am teaching a class locally now on the weekends where I often tell this story There is no chance that I'd ever have had the confidence had I not felt that connection.
My experience learning family history has changed me permanently and specifically I never would have even known what to ask without the help of Time Capsule's family history book.
Learning about your family history is an incredible gift to give and receive.I cannot recommend it enough to others.
Do you have any stories about learning about your family history? I'd love to hear them in the comments below! And if you're feeling inspired to start your own journey, I hope you'll share your experiences with me as well. Who knows, maybe your story will inspire someone else to start their own family history project. Thanks for reading!
If learning about your family history is important to you, start your Time Capsule here.