Family Matters

"The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It represents a child's initial source of unconditional love and acceptance and provides lifelong connectedness with others. The family is the first setting in which socialization takes place and where children learn to live with mutual respect for one another.

A family is where a child learns to display affection, control his temper, and pick up his toys. Finally, a family is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be."

- Marianne Neifert, 1991

Yes, family is the foundation of all we have been, are, and will become. This is a fundamental fact of life. Learning about your family's past can enrich the present, and help shape your future - that's why I think genealogy is a critically important means to an end. This is why there are so many genealogical links on this page! By helping your children and your grandchildren to know their roots, you give them a strong personal awareness that will carry them through the years ahead. Besides that, it's fun!

What kind of parent are you? What kind of grandparent? Are you fully satisfied with how you parent your adult children? Would you like to do things differently with your grandchildren?

We've got the resources to enrich your experiences as a "family elder": helpful websites, books and videos to further develop the bonds between you and the younger generations of the family.

After all, isn't that what life is all about? Deeply connecting with those people you love the most.