Sense of belonging!

[MarieC]

Also, we can never, ever know if the people we are researching are actually our blood relatives and I would bet that quite a few aren't.

Especially when you have a ggggrandfather like mine, who seems to have been maintaining two households simultaneously (well, two that we know about!)  Leaves room for all sorts of things, I'd have thought!

MarieC

[Christopher]

Hiya Folks,

This is an interesting question. I tend to agree with Cell that the sense of belonging is with the living rather than long dead ancestors. My friends and relations are scattered throughout the world. The internet has produced
a new type of friend..an online friend. I am really surprised how close online friends can be ..thanks Rootschat..
I have met some great friends here and hope to meet many more.

Belonging is not only a feeling created by ancestors, family and friends. A sense of belonging can also be created by a feeling for the country in which you live.  I feel my sense of belonging is stronger for the country where many of my maternal line were born, Ireland and specifically the north of Ireland, than it is for the country where those ancestors in my paternal line were born.

Best Wishes, Chris

[tulstig]

I to agree - my sense of belonging is with the living. Having found a few living cousins recently and met them it has been wonderful. Also like Wheeldon says I'm not sure some of my 'ancesotrs' are blood related simply becausse they lived in the same family unit & had their 'father's' name on teh birth certificate.

Also like ot say the software I use allows a whole range of relationships,including same-sex partners (Family Tree Legends - by Pearl software) and was one of the reasons I chose it.

Mark

[MrsLizzy]

Well I do feel a strong sense of belonging - but really only on my father's side, and that on his mother's side.  This is most likely because my paternal grandmother was the person I loved most in the world when I was growing up, and the one person I felt close to.  She was important to me, so I suppose that's why her family feel like "my" family much more than my mother's side.

[tulstig]

I was closest to my maternal gran (mum's mum) when she was alive, and can safely say for a long while I was her favourite.

Guess which line I have the brick wall on. Seems her father just doesn't want to be found, and Nan's surviving siblings don't want to talk about him. So frustrating.

[Christopher]

I was closest to my maternal gran (mum's mum) when she was alive, and can safely say for a long while I was her favourite.

Guess which line I have the brick wall on. Seems her father just doesn't want to be found, and Nan's surviving siblings don't want to talk about him. So frustrating.

I sometimes wonder why people do not wish to talk about their fathers, tulstig.

Life is so short. If you are asked a question by a young relative you should give them some encouragement no matter what they ask.

All the Best, Chris

[tulstig]

Couldn't agree more, Chris. Thank you 

But all I get is brush offs and unreturned letters. Even my mum's siblings know nothing of their grandad. Both his given name & surname are common names too so too many in the last census to even hazzard a guess at. 
 
Mark

[MrsLizzy]

I remember my great aunt's husband sternly telling me to leave family history well alone "because you might find out something you'd rather not know".  I was sure he was referring to illegitimacy, which might well upset him but I am made of sterner stuff!  I really can't imagine anything that would make me wish I had never done any of my research.  I can imagine feeling sad on learning some of the stories of my ancestors but not to the extent of wishing them undiscovered.

[Lloydy]

I use the Generations software for my family tree, and when I add a new "spouse" I can select male or female.  I've just tried adding a new female partner to myself and it works!!!!

Jan