I once did a project where I created my basic family tree. At the time, it seemed tedious, but I was surprised by how much I didn't know about my family! Before my great-great grandparents on my mom's side moved to Canada, they lived in Scotland, and can also be traced back to England. My father's ancestors came to Canada from Germany and Holland. And that's only skimming the surface!

Family trees get complicated, but there are lots of great stories to be told! Ask your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents if you can, about your family's origins and achievements. It can take some digging to find out more about your ancestry, but it's worth it.

Ask questions like, "Why did they come here?", "How did my grandparents meet?", "Did any of my relatives fight in any wars?". Huge historical events, like the World Wars probably affected your family in some way. The older members of your family are great people to ask; they probably remember stories told to them by their parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts.

It can also be fun to find pictures of your ancestors, or letters or art they made. See if you can find any similarities between yourself and them, either in your appearance, talents, or your personality! You are literally a mixture of all of your ancestors, and some qualities will stick out more than others.

Personally, I believe that it's valuable and educational to learn about your family's origins. You'll have things to be proud of, and some mistakes to learn from. No matter your family's story, whether you've been in the same country for years or are recent immigrants, it's up to you to keep the story going for future generations to love as well.

What's something cool about your ancestry?

Til next time!

Kat ♥