As a registered nurse in critical care for many years, I have dealt often with death. I have often been struck by how little families know aout their elder members and the world they grew up in. I believe that the past is our roadmap to the future. With our society being so dis-jointed and transient, finding the links to our heritage has become even more important. Coming from a very disrupted family myself, searching for and actually finding distant family members, both living and dead, gives me a sense of belonging. It is important to get our children and grandchildren interested in more than just their "I see it - I want it now" world. If our children lose interest, then history will certainly repeat itself.

As a registered nurse in critical care for many years, I have dealt often with death. I have often been struck by how little families know aout their elder members and the world they grew up in. I believe that the past is our roadmap to the future. With our society being so dis-jointed and transient, finding the links to our heritage has become even more important. Coming from a very disrupted family myself, searching for and actually finding distant family members, both living and dead, gives me a sense of belonging. It is important to get our children and grandchildren interested in more than just their "I see it - I want it now" world. If our children lose interest, then history will certainly repeat itself.