I remember one of my first visits to the FamilySearch Library. It was known as the Family History Library then, and I knew next to nothing about genealogy. To be fair, it still feels like I know next to nothing about genealogy.

This was sometime in 2011. I was newly married, in the middle of a career change, and looking for graduate school programs. Nothing about the grad school offerings truly excited me, leaving me with some extra time for my hobbies. Because of a chance encounter with a professional genealogist, I dove into the deep end of the hobby. Full force. No looking back.

For me, diving in meant drinking from the firehose. Often. I watched webinars, some of them too simplistic for my skills, while I found others way too advanced. I signed up for Ancestry and FamilySearch accounts. And of course I went to the FamilySearch Library (I obviously didn’t live in Mississippi then). Looking back, I might have nudged myself in a different direction, one that would have led me to libraries and archives earlier, but that’s a different story.

Anyway, I remember an early trip to the library, where I spoke to one of the professional genealogists on staff. She kindly pointed me in the direction of some materials and let me do a bit of research. On this occasion, I got lucky, found a few documents, and photocopied them. I went back to pack up for the day and on my way out I ran into the same genealogist. She asked if I had found anything. I showed her my photocopies. She kindly encouraged me to cite my sources on the page and even helped me to write them out. The I asked her the big question.

“Okay, so I found all these documents and information about my family members. So what do I do with them?”

She looked at me quizzically. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“What do I do with all this information? I like knowing it. I like learning it. It’s interesting and fun, but can I use it? What do I physically do with it? Isn’t it like reading a book? It's just for me. I’ve read it and now what?”

This kind woman still looked confused for a moment. “You can write a book, you can create a visual family tree, you can collect photos, and meet distant cousins, or you can even join a lineage or genealogical society.”

Her answer sounded flat in my ears. The way she looked at me . . . I knew she knew I wasn’t convinced about her answer, even if some of those answers were correct. And even today, they’re still good answers. But at the time I didn’t understand something about genealogy and family history that I’ve come to know and feel today. You see, I still want to do things with my genealogy, whether it’s to write or collect photos or to share family stories with others. But what I didn’t know then was just how many people are out there who deeply yearn to connect with their ancestors. They want connections that are deep and poignant and transcend a need to “do something” with the information found during a search. And though it might have sounded trite to my ears to write a book or collect some photographs, these are small ways that can lead to the deep and powerful feelings of connection the hobby can provide. But those aren’t all. If you help other people with the research into their families or join a society and make friends with others in a group, these activities will enrich your life.

My life is better because I’ve made friends with others who share my love of the hobby. It is better because I can share family stories, stories I never knew until recently, stories I share with my children and point out the similarities between them and their ancestors. It is better because I get to help others make discoveries at work when I am in the archives or even if I share a few of the tips and tricks I’ve learned with other researchers in the genealogical society. It is better because it inspires me to go and do more every day. To live more every day.

So, yes, go ahead and write a book, collect photos and newspaper clippings, join a society, or just share family stories with friends. Go ahead and do the research into each family member. I guarantee if you find things to do beyond the research, even small things to do with the information you gather or the skills you’ve learned along the way, your life will be better, livelier, richer.

Prove me wrong.

P.S. RootsTech is this week. For those who can't go and would love the opportunity to learn new skills online, please sign up for the event for free here. RootsTech has a special place in my heart because the first RootsTech played an important role in my discovering genealogy. 

This is a great opportunity for those who love the hobby to absorb, learn, get inspired and share with a worldwide community of genealogists.