Thursday, February 4, 2010

Genetics of Genealogy

I love the genetic aspect of genealogy.  I love looking at old pictures and finding out more about my ancestors' physical characteristics, it makes the people somehow more real.  It's great to be able to look back in time and blame an Irish ancestor for my unruly hair, or see how Mom's sharp nose can be traced back to Great-Great-Great-Grandpa Johnson.  I also can use the knowledge of my ancestors' health troubles to make lifestyle choices to avoid diseases I am predisposed to.  I know that Great-Grandma Ruth had Parkinson's disease, so I'm on the look out for any neurological issues.  Grandma Dickerson has had a life-long problems with obesity, so I'm careful to keep a healthy weight.  My husband's family stays skinny until 30, so I know to start our exercise habits now.  My entire knowledge of my family's health history comes from interviews with my grandmas, and old picture albums.  It would be great if FamilySearch made it easy to upload family photos so that this knowledge could be shared with more distant relations who don't have access to the same sources.

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