#MicroblogMondays: Coming soon to a screen near you...!

I tend to roll my eyes when people talk about their "passion" for something (perhaps because it was such an over-used buzzword in my former workplace!) -- but I think it would be safe to say that I am "passionate" about family history/genealogy. :)  

That is why I am taking a big step outside my comfort zone to share that passion with the rest of you!  As part of World Childless Week next month, Michael Hughes of the Full Stop podcast and I will be presenting a webinar on the morning of Monday, Sept. 16th, called "What Can We Learn From Our Family History?" 

Stephanie Joy Phillips, who founded and runs World Childless Week, proposed the idea of a WCW webinar to me earlier this year, after reading some of my comments on a discussion thread related to childlessness, family history and legacy. I knew that Michael is also a keen genealogist (and even more knowledgeable on the subject than I am), and suggested him as another participant -- and happily, he said yes!  

I know many of us who don't have children don't see the point in learning about our families' histories.  It can hurt to see our childlessness reflected in black and white on a family tree chart -- our siblings and cousins' branches growing and flourishing -- while our little branch comes to a dead end -- so why bother?  Who really will remember us -- any of us, with or without kids, anyway -- especially after a century or two?  Shouldn't we be more concerned with the here and now and what we can do to make life better for others while we're here?  And, some would argue, does a genetic connection even matter that much anyway? Does our legacy lie in our descendants, in great achievements, or in small acts of kindness and connection with others?     

I can't deny some of these arguments. And I can't speak for others -- but I know that for me, learning more about my family history, and what my ancestors endured, to allow me to live the life I enjoy today (a pretty good one, all things considered...!) -- and especially learning about my childless relatives from the past -- has been both comforting and inspirational. Simply realizing just how many of them there are/have been has helped me to feel less alone as a childless person!  

Our family history and what we learn about it can be part of the legacy that we pass along to our other extended family members -- especially if we take steps to preserve and share the things we've learned. Family tends to be defined pretty narrowly these days -- we tend to focus on parents and grandparents, siblings and children -- but aunts, uncles and cousins also have roles to play too (if we're lucky enough to know them and spend time with them). Hearing my parents talk about their own extended family members and what they've learned from them gives me hope that perhaps someday our nephews and great-niblings will remember us and tell stories about us to their own kids in the same way.  

Michael & I will be exploring some of these themes in this webinar on Sept. 16th.  Come join us!  You can register here. (And if you can't watch live, the recording will be available on the WCW website later. You do not need to register in advance if you're just going to watch later on the website.)  

(I'll admit I'm a little nervous about "going public," after managing to (mostly) maintain my semi-anonymity here for almost 17 (!) years -- 23 years in the childless community generally!  It's possible that some family members and friends, who know nothing of my blog or other activities in the childless community, may see something about the webinar on social media and find their way here. But I think it's a worthwhile risk!) 

You can find my other genealogy-related posts here. 

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.