I recently read a social media post where the author argued that every person dies twice. The first is a person's physical death of the body. The second, just as significant as the first, is the death of that person's memory, their legacy, their story. This second death can occur when there is no one left to remember them or tell their stories. Think about it. In less than a hundred years, a person's life could be entirely forgotten.
Science may not have evolved enough to prevent a person's first death, but genealogy can most surely prevent the second one! Genealogy can also help rediscover many lost stories and breathe life into those who have been forgotten to time.
Many of my favorite family stories are ones that had to be rediscovered through genealogical research. Can you believe that not a single living descendant knew that my second great grandfather won The Kentucky Derby?!
My advice? Take the pictures (and label them!). Ask the questions. Listen (and record!) the stories. Invest in the research. Second deaths are preventable AND reversible. Preserving the stories and experiences of our ancestors through records, pictures, articles, and personal items, can give us a deeper understanding of where we came from and the struggles and triumphs that shaped who we are today.
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