It’s the middle of the September 30 x 30 challenge and it’s time to check in. How’s your month going?
When I first proposed doing a challenge this month, I thought it would help me feel connected to my father, who died on August 20. One of my wise commenters, Marian, suggested that I go easy on myself this month. I so appreciated that because, as it’s turned out, my days are far from normal and doing research, while enjoyable, hasn’t been easy. My brother is visiting from Australia, my mind isn’t as sharp as usual, and I have myriad estate-related tasks on my plate. So in fact, I’ve researched only a handful of days.
I hope your month is going better! If you’re participating in the challenge of researching or organizing for 30 minutes a day each day this month, please let us know in the comments how it’s going!
So glad you are being kind to yourself. There is a lot going on and the point of the challenge isn’t to great stress! I am doing pretty well with my challenge. Although there have been a couple of missed days, I have made up for them on other days. Trying to get through my Aunt’s inherited genealogy I shipped here several years ago. Hoped I can continue with this momentum
Glad your challenge is going well! You’re absolutely right–my genealogy research is not meant to be stressful!
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my father nearly six months ago and I’m just now starting to be normal. It’s a process and just allow yourself to go with your feelings and give yourself grace.
Thank you very much, Shelley. I have been embracing giving myself grace this month.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my mother 9 months ago and am still in a daze. I still have piles of her photos and other possessions to go through. Some times the memories just block me from doing anything. Taking it a day at a time. I wish you all the best!
Thank you, Linda. I have a lot of photos and genealogy documents from my father and aunt to go through and they’re definitely more emotionally difficult now. It’s a journey.
Hey Janine, once again my condolences. Having to handle my mom’s estate 10 years ago, well your friend is right, go easy on yourself. Like Roberta, I’ve missed a few days, but more than made up for them, I broke through a brick wall. The challenge was what got me started on it, after a looooong break, so thank you.
Thanks for reminding me, Janine. I should have taken my own advice.
My family was finally able to get together for a family reunion in August, and I was sad that some of the relatives there didn’t know how they were related. They just knew that their parents had said they were, so they’d been attending for years. This year they sought me out to ask. That meant that I haven’t been doing my job as the self-appointed family historian. So I came home with a to-do item: To assemble an easily-digested family diagram and document. Since then I’ve been working too many hours each day on that. I’ve been getting stiff necks from crouching over my laptop, and my sleep has suffered.
Genealogy benefits from steady, efficient, organized work but not from hustle. As Billy Joel almost sang, “When will you realize? The Records wait for you.”
Thanks for the reminder, Janine.
While I haven’t done research every day, cumulatively I have the equivalent of 30 minutes almost every single day (12 out of the last 15). So I consider that a good thing.
Remember to go easy on yourself. This is not a race.
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. Enjoy the time with your brother.