Relatively Speaking: Reaching Out

Last week, cousin/friend Carol at Reflections from the Fence introduced a weekly theme called Relatively Speaking. If you haven't read her yet, go take a peek. Also included in this theme is cousin/friend Karen at Genealogy Frame of Mind. How we managed to become friends and then discover relationships is just mind-boggling.

Really, one of the great things about the Wild Ones is that we always have a sounding board for ideas like this blog theme; speaking topics; examples for speaking topics and the list goes on and on.

We will email each other and ask - how do you source something? Or if you were going to design a custom fact for your genealogy program how would you word it or what would you call it? The funny thing is you will get similar answers from at least two of the Wild Ones.

And travelling with them! We've taken many genealogical day and overnight trips together and there is nothing like looking up and seeing one of your friends doing a small happy dance in the stacks at the Library of Michigan or in the stacks of the genealogical library at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne.

Since DH and I moved from Michigan to Tennessee, and because I have constant email contact with these friends/cousins, I have forgotten we no longer live in the same state.

Actively researching your family really does mean contacting living people, whether by email, letter, phone, blog, facebook, a website or through membership in a genealogical or historical society, or as a volunteer at your local Family History Center. It is imperative we keep making these contacts/friends/relatives. Everyone has something to give, share or even receive. Everyone has a unique perspective on family history research. Everyone has a reason why they are researching, whether it is for publication or trying to figure out who in the family carried that awful disease that someone in this generation has.

If I had a hope for research, besides that pesky great-great grandmother thing on my mom's side, it would be for all researchers to find the type of friendship that the Wild Ones have. These women are not only my friends and/or cousins, they are sistahs!  So if you are thinking about joining a society, volunteering, or trying to contact that long lost relative, do it now! Tomorrow could be too late!