Genealogy is my hobby, interest and forte. My family on the maternal side have all passed within a few years of each other (2009-2012). The family that I have left barely know me at all , nor do I know much about them. So, in learning and discovering my roots, I can give my past names, geological history and the roots that were planted in my tree hundreds of years before I was even a twinkle in anyone's eyes.
Currently my close family are my children and sometimes even those bonds can be quite rocky.