Start searching your family’s history today. There’s no need to wait for a title to be given like “family historian” or whatever. If you have a question about your ancestry, you have the right to know.

Of course, it’s always a good thing to use tact, care, and empathy when speaking with others in learning about the past. Remember, even though it’s your ancestry, the further back you go, it is an ancestry that you share with any number of people.

That stated, we do not need permission to learn our family’s history.

Here’s an example of a 2014 message that I sent to a DNA match that still rings true today in 20/20:

The funny thing about “truth” and uncovering the past, intentions aside, is that we are “disturbing the dust” of time. There are implications..

To uncover sometimes means to unleash. These are things that are sobering, but to be sober in this sense means being prepared to move forward with learning about one’s family’s history in good conscience.

As you learn, please keep in mind the old adage, to whom much is given, much is required…

To repeat, start searching your family’s history today and know this, that permission is inherently granted to all who earnestly search, find, and respectfully share the stories of the lives of our ancestors. It is a situation to consider and to pursue.

The other side of truth is a formidable, yet beautiful place.

The Genealogy Situation Room