Family Heritage

Work To Preserve Your Family Heritage

I recently watched three old movies: Bess, Queen Elizabeth the First, and Mary Queen of Scots, and I began to think about the many different things that went on in the movies. The royal family lineages were absolutely pivotal to the health and stability of the nation, and family lineage played a large part in the lives of the citizens too. Then I began to realize that the people in Europe still paid attention to their lineages. It sure helps to live where you are surrounded by lots of physical history, ancient languages and dialects.

Most of Europe has kept their dances, coats of arms, tartans, etc. But when a European moved to the United States, their identification with their family lineage generally began to dissipate. Unless you’re American Indian, your family heritage (DNA, genealogy, identity) is rooted somewhere other than the United States. Research done on identical twins separated at birth and reunited in later years shows that their attitudes, likes and dislikes, talents, and other characteristics were remarkably similar. I recently watched a program on Oprah, where she had a story about African Americans that had their DNA tested to learn what country and tribe in Africa they were from. The test results were that precise. My point: we are a product of our family heritage, and we should pursue an understanding of our ancestors to learn more about ourselves.

A healthy personal identity is extremely important. It gives confidence, incentive, and preserves individuality. We all look for role models. What better role model and confidence-builder than a famous, healthy relative in your lineage? Research your family lines, which is a lot easier now that we have the Internet. You can start at the www.designsofwonder.com website. Not every one has a coat of arms, but you still have an ancestral lineage.

Carol (Cockburne) Bird teaches and performs European Dances of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque eras. For more information, contact Carol.