Did you know your vital records provide many clues about the patterns your family carries and passes down through the generations? You may look at a document and ask where is this information hidden? It's right in front of you. The key is to use a collection of vital records to piece together the puzzle. What do I mean by this? Did you know a genogram can help us sort out this large family puzzle?

When we enter data from vital records into our genealogy database, we tend to stop analyzing afterward. As long as the basic information is there, we have gathered that document, we can check it off the list. There usually isn't any big picture analysis. Additionally, in a genealogy database or family tree like Ancestry, it's more difficult to see the big picture and place the puzzle pieces where they need to be inserted.

A genogram is kind of like a giant family map since it's created like a family tree and can help us see the larger picture as we map out the family and start to look for the patterns. Once we add symbols and notes to indicate the different issues we are exploring, it turns into a road map for the family. Or a treasure map if you want to look at it that way. The treasure lies within the gifts, blessings, and burdens we receive from our ancestors.

I used a genogram on my maternal lines to analyze child loss and pregnancy loss as one way to explore why the only stories I'd heard about my great grandma Bessie were bad. What could have happened to Bessie to create such an energy and these stories?

I mapped out Bessie's family - parents, siblings, children, grandchildren and focused only on birth and death dates. You know what I discovered? Bessie lost three siblings prior to her turning 15 years old. She lost three children of her own. Her daughter lost three children. Then it skips a generation and I lost three children. That's quite a pattern right? One you wouldn't most likely discover without a genogram.

In Bessie's life, I explored not only child loss but other factors like collective history events, local events, and family events. Is there a paper trail proving everything I see in this family through a genogram? Probably not but that really doesn't matter.

We feel it within our bodies, families, and energy systems. We see it play out generation after generation. Our ancestors may tell us what happened if we are in communication with them.  We can heal it if we are willing to put the puzzle together and do the inner work.

Genealogists put a lot of stock into the paper trail and doing research properly. This is important, but I think the community needs to acknowledge that there are some things you will never find a paper trail for that are still true and valid.

What do you think? Have you used a genogram? How has it helped you?

You can learn more about this topic on my YouTube video. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on new content! You can also explore more of the genogram on your own in my Introduction to Genogram webinar.

We will be discussing more about this topic plus our kids, mental health and our research on Friday 26 August 2022 at 7:00 p.m. CDT in my Ancestral Souls Zoom. This is a free event. Just click here to register.

Would you like help understanding your family's beliefs, behaviors & patterns?

There are two ways I can help you better understand your relationships and identify personal and ancestral patterns that might be holding you back and not allowing you to release and let go. I offer private facilitation sessions and genogram sessions. You can learn why these are valuable and how they can help you by exploring the differences on the Facilitation & Genogram Session page.

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