One day my mother said to me,

“I want to learn more about our family history. I’ll need to learn to do Internet research and I don’t know anything about computers, so teach me computers, and then teach me genealogy research.”

I was thrilled that my mother expressed an interest in computers. With a deep love of computer technology and decades of experience in the field, I was always excited to impart my joy to others.

Unfortunately, the word genealogy did not bring forth the same heartfelt response. According to the dictionary, genealogy is the study or investigation of ancestry. It sounded very dry and dull, but for my mother’s sake, I was willing to learn the basics.

A funny thing happened on the way to knowledge. I realized that genealogy was more than names and dates. It was actually all about my family and me.

My grandmother’s photo albums were not full of strangers, but people who were connected to me. The more my mother and I learned about our relatives, the more the flat silent pictures became windows into a vibrant world, a world populated with family.

Years have passed and my mother is an experienced computer geek and genealogist. We have learned, laughed, and enjoyed ourselves immensely in our search for family.

Oasis offers classes that can help you develop skills that will enhance your exploration of your family history. Check out the catalog for your local Oasis for classes in word processing, genealogy, basic and advanced photography, even history.

Do not let a lack of experience stand in your way. Start today. Your family is waiting.