When I was around the age my younger brother is right now, I set into a more serious search for my ancestry. I joined ancestry.com, growing every day more amazed at the volumes of data saved and retrieved about the comings and goings of mankind through the years. Some days, I lost hours wandering the halls of information, chasing tidbits of information, wondering: "Is she related? Is he?"
I gleaned a few solid connections, gained more from an aunt who had previously gathered much information on her own. But, I eventually felt the weight of searching the labyrinth of halls, grew tired of losing hours to a search yielding few useful links.
Now, that brother has entered the maze, already updating the family tree far beyond anything I'd accomplished. I think, too, that the website has improved their graphics, enhanced the options for the user and opened doors to more genealogical information than ever before available worldwide.
His entry has sparked renewed interest within me. But for what end? What might "I" personally really glean from knowing the "who" of my family's ancestry? Unless we can dive below the surface to glean fascinating details about the life each of those ancestors lived, they remain but a name.
Still, I'm fascinated by opening the shadows and discovering whatever treasures might be resting on the forest floor.
