The Pedigree Chart

A pedigree chart, or family tree, consists of one persons name as the starting point and adding fathers' and mothers' names, which quickly multiplies as generations are recorded. The best place to start is with YOU. After you record your full name in the first position on the pedigree chart, write your parents' names in the next positions. List grandparents names next, adding great-grandparents on the chart as well. Ideally, adding birth dates and birth places, along with death dates and death places helps to complete your pedigree chart. While gathering all this information, notice reactions of family members: it's odd how recording your own dates and those of close family seems intrusive and tabu, but the more distant the relative, the more informational and less personal. Interesting!

Gathering family information can be fun but challenging. Most of the time, asking Mom or Dad for their parents' names, and possibly their grandparents names' is the easiest way to build a family tree. However, there may be situations where the information isn't known or is sketchy. Dad may only know his grandmother came from Sweden, but not which city; or Mom remembers her grandpa from the midwest, but doesn't really know where any other relatives came from. Searching geographical areas where the last known relative lived, you'll want to locate any information that would be considered "official;" meaning birth records, death records, census records, military service records, journals, etc. These documents not only provide the name of your searchee, but may include other family names and other information as well. For instance, a birth record will include father's and mothers' names and their birthplaces, and will also have addresses and dates.

Mobile Society

Up until about forty years ago, our society seemed relatively stable: meaning families stayed in the same neighborhood until the children were grown, or at least until they finished high school and moved away to go to college or a university. Extended family lived relatively close and ties were stronger. Children really knew their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family dinners and reunions were either excitedly anticipated or dreadfully attended. Nevertheless, they were opportunities to renew ties. When available, great-grandparents were included in the associations.
Today, a variety of circumstances cause separation of families: employment opportunities, education, cost of living, etc. Even health concerns prompt changes in the family: moving closer to that medical facility or specialist; weather more suited to the family, whether moving from the heat to the snow, or from the snow to the heat; allergies, etc.
Whatever the reasons for change, families often struggle with the desire to retain their ties with extended relatives and maintain their immediate family structure. The idea of "I'm my own universe" dominates, and family units stay in bubbles, until they join with the rest of the family.
As a result, many people don't know their cousins, aunts, or even grandparents. It's like a tree with very little root, just sitting on the surface of the ground.

A SENSE OF BELONGING/THE BIGGER PICTURE
Because of these changes, the depth and stability of what it means to be a family fades away. A "cousin" is replaced by the friend next door; a "grampa" becomes that nice older man with white hair who always smiles and says hi; a "sister" might be a co-worker to be confided in.
Family associations are important to find balance in one's life, and extended family is essential to adding to that balance. The more one involves themself in immediate family activities and extended family events, the more depth is created. The tree extends it roots deep into the ground which causes the top of the tree to flourish and become stronger.
However, there are circumstances which simply do not allow families and extended families to associate, whether in person, by phone, mail, internet, etc. Where, then, can one still feel a sense of belonging to their family? The answer would be in looking back towards our relatives who've died. Just because they're not standing in front of us doesn't mean they didn't exist. Stories were told about them, laughs were shared, and memories created because of them. The more information that is learned adds to their reality as an individual, and the more meaning is given to their name.
So whether our relatives are living now, or have passed on, we can take advantage of becoming closer to them through building a history. The most common way of doing this is by starting simple - build a pedigree chart.