What I really love about computers and the internet is that it makes life so much easier for everybody. I virtually live inside of it, every single day. It’s where I conduct my work, reconnect with my family and friends, shop for my stuff and yes, window shop without having to contend with someone else’s watchful eyes, pay my bills and meet new friends along the way AND take note, I really made some friends off them!
So there’s this one time when I stumbled upon a genealogy site which helps a person find his roots without ever setting a foot out the door. They have these family trees of different sizes and shapes available for you to download, print or just play around. However, they reminded me of my childhood years when making your own family tree was a requirement and hunting for pictures was just so funny! Aside from that, there’s a forum there where you can place inquiries about your long-lost relatives from far away lands and someone will answer you soon, making it a very interactive place for those who are longing for someone to talk to about the hardships of tracing one’s family history. I even found some heart warming stories there such as why they are doing it and how they are faring. Technology indeed made it easier for us to gather information, data, photographs and other stuff which will make our family heritage clearer and nicer for the generations to come! Here are some ways to preserve your family history and hope someday someone further down in your family free will thank you for spending a little of your time doing these things!
·    Photo albums. I still go for the old school type of photo album which you could touch and feel, even though there are a couple of websites out there that allow a member to create his or her personal album. I suggest you take the extra mile by doing both just so you’ll be able to have a backup copy if one of them messes up.
·    Take pictures. Gone are the days when you need to take a roll of film to Wal-Mart and wait for an hour for it to be ready for you. These days, most home printers can handle quality printing needs for photos you have just taken. No need to hassle yourself and waste time. Just point those digital cameras and shoot, then print right after!
·    Always have your camera with you even if there’s no particular reason for doing so. Digital cameras of today are designed to be handy and compact, some even smaller than your palm and sits perfectly inside your pocket. Bring them to family gatherings such as weddings, reunions, and birthdays.
·    Create a family book. You can either have it bound by a professional publishing house or if you are good at photo manipulation or perhaps a software you can use for such activities, you can save it on a CD and make multiple copies for your family members.
·    Join online genealogy groups so that you too can help others find their roots. Who knows, maybe it’s your 3rd, 4th, 5th cousin who will turn up there next!