Family Tree TV

Last week I caught the tail-end of an episode of the new series, Who Do You Think You Are? It follows celebrities as they trace their ancestry. Sarah Jessica Parker was journeying back in time to trace her family roots on the episode I was watching. Her search led her to the Salem Witch Trials where one of her relatives life was spared because the trials were abolished before the woman could be convicted and put to death. Wow, interesting. I began to notice that there are a number of new TV shows that are dealing with family history - American Pickers, a History Channel series where the hosts travel across America in search of people's junk that may have an interesting story attached to it. Another show that deals with the search for ones descendants is on PBS called, Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates. This series digs into the lineage of pop culture notables like Mario Batali, Yo-Yo Ma and Eva Longoria. One show that I watch now and then is The Locator. The host united families that have been separated by adoption, divorce or fragmented lives. I ALWAYS cry at the end.

All this searching for ancestors and missing loved ones made me think that people really are looking for a place in the world - a connection to something more than what is right in front of them. The family structure provides a sense of security. Knowing who we are and where we came from can be very empowering and may change our perspective on who we are and where we're going. Hmmm................