Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy?

Yes

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by Tami Erickson

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I was the family historian long before I became a grandparent and certainly long before computers, internet, social networks and blogging; and I'm not even that old yet!

I was always the nosy child in my family and never ceased asking questions of my mother. About once a month, especially during the cold winter months, I used to drag down the box of my mother's old photographs that she kept on a dusty shelf in the attic.

"Who is this? Where does she live? How did you know him?" were a few of the endless questions I insisted that my mother answer. Although she feigned annoyance, in hindsight I believe she enjoyed telling me her stories of old friends, old flames, and sharing her family memories.

As I grew older, I lost more and more interest in that old box of photos along with my mother's stories of dead relatives and friends. I was still nosy, mind you, I just didn't have the idle hours to devote to the past any more, something I now regret. My time was consumed with the current events of the family and making memories of my own.

My curiosity and interest piqued again many years later when an old family secret was revealed that left us with more questions than answers. It was during those first few months of investigation and research into my family's past that spurned my on-going obsession with genealogy.

Over the years my genealogical research and the information I uncovered gave me insight into who I was as a person and how the events and lives of my ancestors helped shape my world. I yearned for a media in which to share this rich wealth of information with the younger generations of my family certain it would make a difference in their lives as well.

I started with a small compilation of facts; names and dates and geographical locations; and documents placed carefully into protective plastic sleeves inside a three-ring binder. I was proud of my work and shared it at every family gathering. Some people found it interesting, others found it utterly boring!

The advent of genealogy sites, social networking sites and personal web-pages provided me with a way to share information with those family members who were interested but had limited time or short attention spans. I created my own web-space where I can blog, upload old photos and share my memories in written and oral formats.

The stories my mother shared with me when I was young have faded in detail and even though I try to recapture their essence, I sometimes come up short. I don't want the family stories I've told to my children and grandchildren to fade like my mother's have. I think blogging can be a great way to chronicle one's genealogy. It has alleviated my fear of losing those precious heirloom stories as they wait for someone to grow old enough, or curious enough to appreciate them.

Blogging the daily happenings in my life may seem boring to my grandchildren today, but I can guarantee you that for those who are showing signs of the genealogy bug now, my regular posts will eventually become priceless to them: especially after I am gone.

How I wish that my mother or grandmothers had chronicled their lives. It would have given me such deeper insight into who they were as women and how they made it through their daily lives with all the trials and tribulations of their times.

Yes, I think blogging can be a great way to chronicle one's genealogy. It's a great media for staying in touch with relatives separated by distance and will hopefully pique their interest in the family's genealogy, if even in the small comment boxes at the end: "What was her name? How is she related? Where did he live?" are just some of the comments posted under the old photos I've uploaded.

No, it's not the same as sitting next to your child or grandchild on a cold winter evening shuffling through a box of old, faded photographs, but it's better than not having anyone to share them with at all.

Blogging can be a great way to share your stories, but keep in mind, your entries should reveal no more and no less than what you would say to your child or grandchild face-to face. It must be done in a tactful and tasteful manner. Blogs can be read by the world so if you have some deep, dark family secrets, you might want to record those stories in an actual journal to be shared when appropriate.

It's also smart to back up your blogs with a hard copy. Write them in a word doc first; so that it can be printed out and saved; and cut and paste it to your blog. Or simply print out a copy of your blog page each time and keep them in chronological order in a folder or binder. Don't chance loosing those irreplaceable thoughts and memories to unpredictable or unreliable technology.

The years between my birth and those of my grandchildren aren't that many, and yet the world I knew as a child can never be known by them. My world has been shaped and molded by events they will only read about in a history book; or my blogs, blogs that hopefully provide them with a glimpse of the woman I am in addition to who they know as their mother and grandmother.

Learn more about this author, Tami Erickson.
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