Many genealogists spend a lot of time and effort on their research. That is all well and good, but if you are one of those genealogists, wouldn’t it be nice if other people in your family were able to appreciate some of the work that you have done to document their ancestry? If you would like to share your findings with your family but you are at a loss for how to do so, here are some ideas.
Genealogy makes a great gift. Actually, it can make several wonderful types of gifts which can be adapted for various occasions. Summer is wedding season, so why not give the happy couple a framed pedigree chart that goes back a couple of generations. This idea also works well for a baby shower gift which the new arrival and her family can treasure long after she outgrows all of those baby clothes. There are many beautiful templates available which can turn your research into art so beautiful that you may want to order one for yourself, too. Scrapbooks are great for birthdays and anniversaries, as are photo albums.
You could also write and self – publish a short, family history book to share with everyone in the family. Perhaps you could focus on one couple, or even on an individual. The key is to make it accessible by telling a story instead of listing names, dates, and locations. This is a great opportunity to dig deeper and find out the details about the everyday lives of some of your ancestors. If writing books is not your cup of tea, why not start a family genealogy newsletter or blog to deliver bite – sized pieces of family history to your family in an easy to read format.
All of these ideas are a great way to share what you know with your family. As an added bonus, family members may start coming to you with additional information which you can add to your existing research. They are also a fun way to add depth to your research and provide a “good excuse” to look for information about who your ancestors were.
Photo by cohdra on morguefile.com.