essay writing on family tree

Essay about Family: What It Is and How to Nail It

Humans naturally seek belonging within families, finding comfort in knowing someone always cares. Yet, families can also stir up insecurities and mental health struggles.

Family dynamics continue to intrigue researchers across different fields. Every year, new studies explore how these relationships shape our minds and emotions.

In this article, our dissertation service will guide you through writing a family essay. You can also dive into our list of topics for inspiration and explore some standout examples to spark your creativity.

What is Family Essay

A family essay takes a close look at the bonds and experiences within families. It's a common academic assignment, especially in subjects like sociology, psychology, and literature.

So, what's involved exactly? Simply put, it's an exploration of what family signifies to you. You might reflect on cherished family memories or contemplate the portrayal of families in various media.

What sets a family essay apart is its personal touch. It allows you to express your own thoughts and experiences. Moreover, it's versatile – you can analyze family dynamics, reminisce about family customs, or explore other facets of familial life.

If you're feeling uncertain about how to write an essay about family, don't worry; you can explore different perspectives and select topics that resonate with various aspects of family life.

Tips For Writing An Essay On Family Topics

A family essay typically follows a free-form style, unless specified otherwise, and adheres to the classic 5-paragraph structure. As you jot down your thoughts, aim to infuse your essay with inspiration and the essence of creative writing, unless your family essay topics lean towards complexity or science.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips from our essay service experts:

• Focus on a Specific Aspect: Instead of a broad overview, delve into a specific angle that piques your interest, such as exploring how birth order influences sibling dynamics or examining the evolving role of grandparents in modern families.
• Share Personal Anecdotes: Start your family essay introduction with a personal touch by sharing stories from your own experiences. Whether it's about a favorite tradition, a special trip, or a tough time, these stories make your writing more interesting.
• Use Real-life Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples or anecdotes. Draw from sources like movies, books, historical events, or personal interviews to bring your ideas to life.
• Explore Cultural Diversity: Consider the diverse array of family structures across different cultures. Compare traditional values, extended family systems, or the unique hurdles faced by multicultural families.
• Take a Stance: Engage with contentious topics such as homeschooling, reproductive technologies, or governmental policies impacting families. Ensure your arguments are supported by solid evidence.
• Delve into Psychology: Explore the psychological underpinnings of family dynamics, touching on concepts like attachment theory, childhood trauma, or patterns of dysfunction within families.
• Emphasize Positivity: Share uplifting stories of families overcoming adversity or discuss strategies for nurturing strong, supportive family bonds.
• Offer Practical Solutions: Wrap up your essay by proposing actionable solutions to common family challenges, such as fostering better communication, achieving work-life balance, or advocating for family-friendly policies.

Family Essay Topics

When it comes to writing, essay topics about family are often considered easier because we're intimately familiar with our own families. The more you understand about your family dynamics, traditions, and experiences, the clearer your ideas become.

If you're feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start, don't worry! Below, we have compiled a list of good family essay topics to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're assigned this type of essay or simply want to explore the topic, these suggestions from our history essay writer are tailored to spark your imagination and prompt meaningful reflection on different aspects of family life.

So, take a moment to peruse the list. Choose the essay topics about family that resonate most with you. Then, dive in and start exploring your family's stories, traditions, and connections through your writing.

• Supporting Family Through Tough Times
• Staying Connected with Relatives
• Empathy and Compassion in Family Life
• Strengthening Bonds Through Family Gatherings
• Quality Time with Family: How Vital Is It?
• Navigating Family Relationships Across Generations
• Learning Kindness and Generosity in a Large Family
• Communication in Healthy Family Dynamics
• Forgiveness in Family Conflict Resolution
• Building Trust Among Extended Family
• Defining Family in Today's World
• Understanding Nuclear Family: Various Views and Cultural Differences
• Understanding Family Dynamics: Relationships Within the Family Unit
• What Defines a Family Member?
• Modernizing the Nuclear Family Concept
• Exploring Shared Beliefs Among Family Members
• Evolution of the Concept of Family Love Over Time
• Examining Family Expectations
• Modern Standards and the Idea of an Ideal Family
• Life Experiences and Perceptions of Family Life
• Genetics and Extended Family Connections
• Utilizing Family Trees for Ancestral Links
• The Role of Younger Siblings in Family Dynamics
• Tracing Family History Through Oral Tradition and Genealogy
• Tracing Family Values Through Your Family Tree
• Exploring Your Elder Sister's Legacy in the Family Tree
• Connecting Daily Habits to Family History
• Documenting and Preserving Your Family's Legacy
• Navigating Online Records and DNA Testing for Family History
• Tradition as a Tool for Family Resilience
• Involving Family in Daily Life to Maintain Traditions
• Creating New Traditions for a Small Family
• The Role of Traditions in Family Happiness
• Family Recipes and Bonding at House Parties
• Quality Time: The Secret Tradition for Family Happiness
• The Joy of Cousins Visiting for Christmas
• Including Family in Birthday Celebrations
• Balancing Traditions and Unconditional Love
• Building Family Bonds Through Traditions

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Family Essay Example

For a better grasp of the essay on family, our team of skilled writers has crafted a great example. It looks into the subject matter, allowing you to explore and understand the intricacies involved in creating compelling family essays. So, check out our meticulously crafted sample to discover how to craft essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Outlook

In wrapping up, let's remember: a family essay gives students a chance to showcase their academic skills and creativity by sharing personal stories. However, it's important to stick to academic standards when writing about these topics. We hope our list of topics sparked your creativity and got you on your way to a reflective journey. And if you hit a rough patch, you can just ask us to ' do my essay for me ' for top-notch results!

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FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

How to Write an Essay About Your Family History?

How to write an essay about a family member, how to write an essay about family and roots, how to write an essay about the importance of family, related articles.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Family History — Examples Of Family Tree

Examples of Family Tree

• Categories: Family History

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Words: 491 |

Published: Mar 13, 2024

Words: 491 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Understanding family history, impact on personal identity, preserving family legacies.

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How to Create an Outline for Writing an Interesting Family History

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You might approach writing with a mixture of caution, excitement and dread. On one hand, you look forward to sharing sweeping tales about your ancestors, the journeys they have taken and the triumphs and trials they have faced.

On the other hand, though, writing can be downright hard. The saying goes that the pen is mightier than the sword (or, in our digital world, the laptop or other electronic device). But when you struggle to find the right words to describe a person who means a great deal to you, the pen might feel like little more than a blunt stick.

In fact, because family stories are so personal, writing about them can be harder than writing about something more scientific or technical. You may know more about Grandma Ethel and her childhood than anyone else—but you know so much that you fear you will gloss over something important. Every time you sit down to write about her, nagging thoughts arise: what if I’m not doing her story justice? What if I’m leaving out important details or homing in on the wrong details? What if I’m just not the writer for the job?

Fortunately, writing doesn’t have to feel like a long, uncertain battle. You can break the writing process down into manageable parts, turning it from stressful slog into an illuminating journey.

Creating a handy outline can help. Below are some strategies to guide you in creating an outline that covers all you want to share about your family history.

What is a Writing Outline?

A writing outline is a tangible plan in which you lay out:

• what you are writing
• about whom or what you are writing
• the structure or organization of your work

Outlines take many different forms. Some may be linear, plotting out exactly what happens from the beginning to the end. For example, a story of your grandfather’s immigration to America may begin with the moment he left his homeland and end with him stepping foot on unfamiliar land.

Other outlines have a more stream-of-consciousness structure; you simply write whatever comes to mind as you brainstorm and use your notes as your guide. In this case, you might highlight specific descriptions or moments of your grandfather’s voyage, but don’t connect the dots,” at least right away.

This article focuses mostly on structured outlines. But the “right” outline is whichever feels the most useful to you.

And whatever outline you create, nothing in it has to be set in stone. Even if you map out Grandpa’s life perfectly from its humble start to its glorious conclusion, you may decide as you write to change some parts around, to add details, or to omit entire swaths of time and text altogether.

That’s okay. What makes the writing process so rewarding is uncovering old fond memories that you thought had turned to dust, or making new, startling epiphanies that enliven your story.

Every time I write something new, be it a story or article or essay, I end up writing something very different than what I had initially envisioned. Even the final draft of this article looks quite different from my outline. I embrace these differences, and I also embrace my outlines for carrying me to the end.

Types of Outlines

What does an outline look like? Below I highlight several common types and provide examples of each. Your outline might look entirely different, or blend elements from several varieties. What’s important is that you find an outlining strategy that helps you write your family history the way you want.

The Alphanumeric Outline

The alphanumeric outline is exactly what it sounds like: It uses a combination of letters (lowercase or uppercase) and numbers (Arabic or Roman numerals) to denote hierarchies in your thought process.

For example, you might identify three main topics you want to highlight in your family history and number them 1, 2, and 3. Then you can expand upon a main topic with supporting, more-specific “sub-topics” that you label a, b and c under the main idea. To put it another way, the main topic serves as an “umbrella” over those sub-topics.

You’ve probably used this outline to write structured essays in school—ones with a clear introduction and thesis statement, a cohesive body and a compelling conclusion. The alphanumeric outline is ideal if you’re looking to write a chronological family history that has a clear order to your thoughts.

Below is an example of an alphanumeric outline I drafted up to write a piece on my own family history:

Note that my topics have different numbers of sub-topics beneath them. Your outline, too, might not look completely balanced. Some subjects might simply spur more inspiration or warrant a more-detailed discussion. I also gave my outline a temporary, working title to differentiate it from other outlines.

The Sentence Outline

Like the alphanumeric outline, the sentence outline sorts ideas and subjects into subject groups. However, each topic and sub-topic is written as a complete sentence. Sometimes, I’m so overflowing with ideas that I break the rules and end up creating a (short) paragraph outline.

While it may seem like extra work, this outline is useful. It forces you to engage with your ideas just as you would while writing your actual family history. As a result, you can potentially identify at the outline level what you need to expand upon and what you could possibly pare down. For instance, if you struggle to write even one sentence to sum up the topic, you may consider reworking the topic altogether.

Another thing I appreciate about the sentence outline is that it allows me to play with language and tone. Most sentences from the outline won’t survive to the actual written family history, but they do help me uncover sensory images and valuable details that I might otherwise overlook during the writing process.

I also may notice certain themes that emerge organically and tie my story together. For example, I found that the concept of myths and mythologizing the past threaded many of the topics in my outline together. This revelation helped guide my narrative throughout the entire piece.

Here’s a sentence outline for the first top I laid out in my alphanumerical outline:

The Mind Map

If the outlines mentioned above feel too academic or rigid for you (or you just want something more visual), then the mind map may be right for you. The mind map usually begins with a single “seed” of a topic—something general, like “My Family History”—then branches off into many separate topics that intersect or sprout their own “sub-topics.” (It goes without saying, then, that a tree is an apt metaphor for the family history mind map!)

The mind map can help you visualize where your ideas are in relation to one another. As you add new ideas to your mind map, it grows, as does your understanding of what you are writing about.

Here’s a mind map outline that I created using a free version of Coggle:  

Most mind-mapping tools allow you to create several free mind maps and use basic mapping capabilities. The paid versions of these tools offer unlimited maps and more complex features (for example, color-coding, more bubble shape options, etc).

Here’s a quick breakdown of five different mind-mapping tools: Coggle , GitMind , Microsoft Visio , MindMeister and Miro . You can review this chart for number of free maps, free features offered, paid features offers and price.

Beyond the Outline: Family History Writing Organization Strategies

You might want jump right into writing once you’ve got an outline. By all means, go ahead! But if you’re still apprehensive, here are tips that will help you ease into the writing process, both before and after you start drafting an outline.

Before the Outline

Determine the form and length of your project.

Few writers can accurately predict how many words a piece will be, so it’s okay if you’re unsure about the length of your family history. However, your outline will be more helpful if it reflects the scope of your project: how deep you plan to go into your family history and what kind of form it’s going to take.

For example, are you writing a book-length memoir that captures snapshots throughout an ancestor’s life? Or are you weaving a narrative that has a clear beginning, middle and end? Is your family history going to be a cohesive narrative, or (like mine) a collection of shorter essays or stories tied together by a theme?

Determine Who You are Going to Write About

This might go without saying, but you’ll need to know who is going to appear in your written family history before you start outlining it. With that decided, you can spend the outlining stage sketching an accurate portrait of the person(s).

Determine Where You Fit into the Story

When you read a book (especially a work of fiction), the narrative point of view is usually one of the first pieces of information you receive. Who is telling the story?

Your family history isn’t fiction, of course. But you’ll want to decide how personal your storytelling will be. Will you let readers get a closer look at who you (the author) are, through personal memories? Or will family stories be told from the point of view of an omniscient, impersonal narrator? There’s no right or wrong answer, but deciding on an approach will help you build your outline.

After the Outline

Organize and integrate research.

Once you have your outline in hand, you can start incorporating your research into it. This is more challenging than it first seems, since you probably have decades of research and plenty of facts that you want to share. It can be tempting to dump all of that information on the page during the outline stage, but I get less overwhelmed if I write my outline first , then match details and facts to specific topics mentioned in my outline.

Make sure that the research you include is relevant to the story and reflects your overall vision. You don’t want your narrative to be bogged down in unrelated details.

Identify Common Images and Narrative Threads

I mentioned above how, during the outlining process, I recognized and embraced the theme of mythology that had emerged from my outline. As you study your own, look out for those such motifs. They might not be broad (such as connections to mythology) or subtle (such as memories of the sky, sea or birds).

Of course, you shouldn’t force such imagery into your writing if it feels unnatural. But concrete images can enrich your story and provide an emotional connection that your readers will respond to.

Find Photos, Heirlooms and Other Items That Can Help Strengthen Your Story

Consider looking through your family photos and keepsakes to find any objects that will help bring your story to life. While colorful descriptions of Grandma’s kitchen at Christmas can help readers visualize the scene (a flour-covered counter, or the smell of freshly baked cookies), an actual photo can transport them there.

For example, my Yia Yia kept a journal that dates to when I was just a baby. In it, she recorded notable milestones, stowed away some fun projects we did together, and described some of our trips to church. I could describe this journal to you in great detail, but that probably wouldn’t be as interesting as seeing it for yourself!

Final Thoughts

Outlines don’t force your family history into a prescribed, write-by-number template. Instead they guide your thoughts, spark memories and move you through years of joys and sorrows. You can always deviate from your outline—you don’t have to commit to a certain topic just because your outline says so. The outline is only a foundation that you can build higher or reshape as you see fit. Keeping that in mind will leave you open to your own treasured memories: how peaceful you felt when you walked with your grandpa through the woods; the touch of his weathered hand in your own; the sound of his wise, booming voice; how his shadow disappeared into those of the trees.

A version of this article appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Family Tree Magazine .

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• Essay Editor

How Should I Go About Writing My Family Essay?: Examples and Tips

Family is an integral part of every individual's life. Delving into the intricate layers of family relationships and dynamics can yield a captivating essay. Here's a comprehensive guide with examples and tips to guide you through the process.

What Topics Should I Write About for My Family Essay?

Choosing the right topic is essential. Here are some suggestions:

Writing a Family Tree Dive into your roots! A family tree can be more than names and dates; it can narrate stories of ancestors, their challenges, achievements, and legacies. For instance, "When I looked into our family tree, I discovered that my great-grandfather was a sailor who traveled the world and had countless tales of adventures, some of which have become legendary bedtime stories in our family."

Describing My Family in My Essay Discuss each family member in detail. "My sister, with her fiery red hair and matching temper, is the exact opposite of my calm and analytical brother. Yet, when they come together, they create the most amazing music, with him on the piano and her singing."

Writing About a Personal Memory Share a poignant memory. "I remember the time when our cat, Whiskers, went missing. The entire family turned detectives overnight, searching for clues, putting up posters, and even setting up a 'cat trap' with her favorite treats. The adventure ended with Whiskers found sleeping peacefully in the neighbor's shed, unaware of the chaos she had caused."

Dos and Don’ts When Writing a Family Stories Essay

• Be authentic.
• Use vivid descriptions and dialogues.
• Respect privacy; ask permission if sharing personal details.
• Avoid making generalizations.
• Refrain from being overly negative or critical.
• Don't plagiarize; every family's story is unique.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a good hook for an essay on my family? As Tolstoy once said, 'All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' Our family, though, has found its unique shade of happiness.
• What should I include in an essay about me and my family? Descriptions of family members, memories, traditions, challenges, and lessons.
• How should I start an essay all about my family? Every time I think of the word 'home,' an image of our old cottage, Sunday dinners, and loud family debates comes to mind.
• How long should my essay about my family be? Length depends on the requirement; academic essays typically range from 500-1000 words, while personal essays can vary.
• How do I make my family essay engaging? Incorporate stories, memories, and emotions.
• Is it okay to discuss family challenges in my essay? Yes, but be sensitive and respectful.
• Can I add humor to my family essay? Yes, as long as it's in good taste.

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How to Write Your Family History

• Genealogy Fun
• Vital Records Around the World
• American History
• African American History
• African History
• Ancient History and Culture
• Asian History
• European History
• Latin American History
• Medieval & Renaissance History
• Military History
• The 20th Century
• Women's History

Choose a Format

Define the scope, set realistic deadlines.

• Choose a Plot and Themes

Do Your Background Research

• Don't Be Afraid to Use Records and Documents

Include an Index and Source Citations

• Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University
• B.A., Carnegie Mellon University

Writing a family history may seem like a daunting task, but when the relatives start nagging, you can follow these five easy steps to make your family history project a reality.

What do you envision for your family history project? A simple photocopied booklet shared only with family members or a full-scale, hard-bound book to serve as a reference for other genealogists? Perhaps you'd rather produce a family newsletter, cookbook, or website. Now is the time to be honest with yourself about the type of family history that meetings your needs and your schedule. Otherwise, you'll have a half-finished product nagging you for years to come.

Considering your interests, potential audience, and the types of materials you have to work with, here are some forms your family history can take:

• Memoir/Narrative: A combination of story and personal experience, memoirs, and narratives do not need to be all-inclusive or objective. Memoirs usually focus on a specific episode or time period in the life of a single ancestor, while a narrative generally encompasses a group of ancestors.
• Cookbook: Share your family's favorite recipes while writing about the people who created them. A fun project to assemble, cookbooks help carry on the family tradition of cooking and eating together.
• Scrapbook or Album: If you're fortunate enough to have a large collection of family photos and memorabilia, a scrapbook or photo album can be a fun way to tell your family's story. Include your photos in chronological order and include stories, descriptions, and family trees to complement the pictures.

Most family histories are generally narrative in nature, with a combination of personal stories, photos, and family trees.

Do you intend to write mostly about just one particular relative, or everyone in your family tree ? As the author, you need to choose a focus for your family history book. Some possibilities include:

• Single Line of Descent:  Begin with the earliest known ancestor for a particular surname and follows him/her through a single line of descent (to yourself, for example). Each chapter of your book would cover one ancestor or generation.
• All Descendants Of...:  Begin with an individual or couple and cover all of their descendants, with chapters organized by generation. If you're focusing your family history on an immigrant ancestor, this is a good way to go.
• Grandparents:  Include a section on each of your four grandparents, or eight great-grandparents, or sixteen great-great-grandparents if you are feeling ambitious. Each individual section should focus on one grandparent and work backward through their ancestry or forward from his/her earliest known ancestor.

Again, these suggestions can easily be adapted to fit your interests, time constraints, and creativity.

Even though you'll likely find yourself scrambling to meet them, deadlines force you to complete each stage of your project. The goal here is to get each piece done within a specified time frame. Revising and polishing can always be done later. The best way to meet these deadlines is to schedule writing time, just as you would a visit to the doctor or the hairdresser.

Choose a Plot and Themes

Thinking of your ancestors as characters in your family story, ask yourself: what problems and obstacles did they face? A plot gives your family history interest and focus. Popular family history plots and themes include:

• Immigration/Migration
• Rags to Riches
• Pioneer or Farm Life
• War Survival

If you want your family history to read more like a suspense novel than a dull, dry textbook, it is important to make the reader feel like an eyewitness to your family's life. Even when your ancestors didn't leave accounts of their daily lives, social histories can help you learn about the experiences of people in a given time and place. Read town and city histories to learn what life was life during certain periods of interest.  Research timelines  of wars, natural disasters, and epidemics to see if any might have influenced your ancestors. Read up on the fashions, art, transportation, and common foods of the time. If you haven't already, be sure to interview all of your living relatives. Family stories told in a relative's own words will add a personal touch to your book.

Don't Be Afraid to Use Records and Documents

Photos, pedigree charts, maps, and other illustrations can also add interest to family history and help break up the writing into manageable chunks for the reader. Be sure to include detailed captions for any photos or illustrations that you incorporate.

Source citations are an essential part of any family book, to both provide credibility to your research, and to leave a trail that others can follow to verify your findings.

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How to Write an Essay About My Family History

A family comprises of people living together that form a social group within a community. The people creating this group are subject to relationships either by birth or blood, and it comprises at least two adults as parents and grandparents, together with young children. The family members have a mutual connection between them. Therefore, an essay about family history is a synopsis of an individual's social identity and the reciprocal relationship(s) he/she shares with the people living together. Learning family history is vital to understand our social status, humanity, and diversity. History keeps our memories for generations to understand who they are and their geographic origin. Having a good knowledge of family background lets you appreciate the things or sacrifices made before by grandparents to experience better things in life. An individual's roots and origin bring a sense of self-discovery. Also, writing about your family history is one way of preserving its heritage for future generations.

How to Start A Family History Essay

Outline writing, tips concerning writing a family history essay introduction, how to write body paragraphs, how to write a conclusion for a family history essay, essay revision, essay proofreading, make citations, catchy titles for an essay about family history, short example of a college essay about family history.

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When writing an essay, there is a logical structure you must follow in giving out your arguments. A proper outline will produce an exciting presentation of every section, and it will fascinate the reader. The standard structure of an essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is an excellent example of an outline for a family history essay:

• Introduction
• Short family background information
• Importance of writing about the family
• Body (paragraphs)
• Family members; grandparents, parents, and children
• The community in which family resides
• Form of livelihood
• Conclusion (a summarizing paragraph)
• Restating your contention
• Summarize your key ideas
• Provide a final comment or reflection about the essay

When writing a presentation about family history, you need to provide a hook to the readers, to make them interested to know much about the family. You can start with facts or anecdotes about grandparents; for example, how they met on the first date and opted to make a family together, you can as well describe the circumstances. You can also provide an insight into a situation by your ancestors that impacted your life experience—the other thing to include in the short background information about your family. Remember to provide a clear and debatable thesis statement that will serve as the roadmap for your discussion in the paper.

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The body paragraphs contain the arguments one needs to discuss the subject topic. Every section includes the main idea or explanatory statement as the first sentence; the primary purpose is a debatable point that you need to prove. The length of a paragraph depends on the accurate measurement of ideas. In most cases, a section has about five sentences; but it can be as short or long as you want, depending on what you discuss. A paragraph has the main statement, supporting sentence(s) with evidence, and concluding sentences. When crafting the body, ensure a clear flow of ideas, connecting from one argument to the other. Transitional words, when used accordingly, can provide a nice transition and flow of ideas from one paragraph to the other. The commonly used transitional words or phrases include moreover, also, therefore, consequently, hence, thus, finally, etc.

A conclusion is as crucial as the introduction; it is the final recap of what your essay entails. The ending paragraph contains three main parts that form a full section. First, remind the audience of your thesis statement and show its relation to the essay topic. Second, provide a summary of the key arguments that you discussed in the body paragraphs. Third, it is advisable to add a final comment or general reflection about the essay. It's important to state that you should use different wording in the conclusion when restating statements and arguments. Also, remember to use signal words at the start of concluding paragraphs like in conclusion, finish, etc.

Revision is an opportunity for a student to review the content in his/her paper and identify parts that need improvement. Some students start revising as they begin drafting their essays. During revision, you need to restructure and rearrange sentences to enhance your work quality and ensure the message reaches your audience well. Revising gives you a chance to recheck whether the essay has a short main idea and a thesis statement, a specific purpose, whether the introduction is strong enough to hook the audience and organization of the article. Also, you check if there is a clear transition from one paragraph to another and ascertain if the conclusion is competent enough to emphasize the purpose of the paper.

Nothing is more frustrating than submitting an essay to earn dismal grade due to silly common mistakes. Proofreading is an essential stage in the editing process. It is an opportunity for reviewing the paper, identifying and correcting common mistakes such as typos, punctuation, grammatical errors, etc. Since proofreading is the final part of the editing, proofread only after finishing the other editing stages like revision. It is advisable to get help from another pair of eyes; you can send the paper to your friend to help you in the same process. There are online proofreading tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway, which you can use to proofread, but you should not only rely on grammar checkers. Remember to proofread the document at least three times.

Making citations is an essential way of keeping references for the sources of content you used. As you are editing, you may make several changes to the document. Do not forget to correctly provide citations for every fact or quote you obtained from other sources. There are different citation formats such as APA, MLA, etc.; therefore, you need to ensure correct usage of quotes depending on the requirement by your professor. The sources you cite present the list of references or bibliography at the end of your essay for easy reference.

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• The Family Ties
• Branches of The Family Tree
• The Generational Genes
• Forever as a Family
• It All Started with a Date
• Bits of Yesteryears

Would you want to know how it all started until here? My grandpa told me that he met my grandma at a concert where one of the greatest artists was performing during one of the summer holidays in New York City. As he was dancing alone, my grandpa approached a beautiful lady (who would become his soulmate) to ask her to dance together. They later agreed to meet for a dinner date. Our family lives in New York. Undoubtedly, this is the best family, and it's an honor to be part of it.

Every person has two sides within his/her family; my paternal side originates from Canada, while the maternal side is from America. Although my great grandfather comes from Canada, my grandpa and grandma live in New York. My grandfather is Afro-American who worked as a bartender, no wonder he loved concerts! My father works as a conservationist for aquatic fauna while my mother works in the bakery. My mother and father met in a supermarket when they were both doing shopping.

Although we live in the same city, my grandparents have their apartment, a distance from ours. We live as a family of five; dad, mum, and three children. As we all live in the same city, we (me and my two sisters) occasionally visit our grandparents during the weekends to spend some time with them; grandpa and I were doing some gardening while my sisters and grandma do cook and other house chores. The bond between our great parents and ours is very excellent.

At Christmas, all my children, mum, and dad travel to our grandparents for a whole week. During the new year, we get together at our house, my parent's house, to welcome the year as an entire family. Sometimes during the weekends, we usually spend most of our time on the beach swimming, except on church days. As a family, our favorite food is deep-fried fish, rice, and vegetables. However, my grandpa likes chicken hash.

In conclusion, the social co-existence between us is excellent, which has created a robust mutual bond for the family. From visiting each other, spending time on the beach, having to get together meals to usher the new year, and celebrating Christmas as a family, the bond keeps growing. I am privileged to be part of such a great family.

How to Get the Best Family History Essay?

Every student would want to produce the best essay possible to earn a better grade. One way of getting information is through previously written materials such as essay samples. Pre-written essay samples have become popular recently among college students due to the vital information they offer. There are several sites, such as Essay Kitchen, that provide pre-written essays on family history at affordable prices. Students can use the essay samples to obtain enough content and idea about paper outline the professor expect; thus, producing a quality article.

Essay writing is a daunting experience for most college students. The academic pressure, coupled with a lot of other activities, makes the whole experience an ordeal. Some students have a lot of responsibilities and find themselves with limited time to handle their academic essays. Consequently, the students use online essay writing service 12 hours at Edu Jungles to write my essay for me at an affordable rate.

Knowing your family history is very important. It enables one to self-discover himself within the society and appreciate the lineage. When you learn about your family's past, you will understand the things you see and experience today. Writing an essay on family history requires a lot of understanding and attention to the aspects you need to describe. The critical factor being family background, then understanding how you need to structure and jot down your ideas.

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Essay about family tree – Research essay

Introduction

In my research paper, I have studied my family tree and have turned up information about people in my family. This information includes things that appear to define them or their character today and/or in the past. Thelma Griffin: mother of Peter Griffin

The line starts with Thelma Griffin. This is as far back as I could go at this present time. Thelma was the mother of me Peter, and she spent her early years as a waitress and then became a professional gambler. She met my father Mickey during a trip to Ireland where I was conceived. She returned to America shortly after, which is where I was born. Mickey McFinnigan: father of Peter Griffin

A man of Irish blood, he is still a much-respected town drunk in a small Irish village. He has never visited the USA and was unaware of my birth for many years. Peter Griffin: me

I am currently a mature student trying to earn my degree in sociology. I have three children, though it is possible that I have more that I am unaware of. I have a wife called Lois Pewterschmidt. Barbra Hebrewberg: mother of Lois

Barbra is married to Cater Pewterschmidt, and is a wealthy New England mother of Jewish heritage. She is the mother to Lois my wife, to Carol Pewterschmidt and the disowned Patrick Pewterschmidt.

Carter Pewterschmidt: father of Lois

Carter is a New England millionaire and managing director of Pewterschmidt industries. He is a strict Christian and was unaware of his wife’s Hebrew background until years after marrying her.

Stewart Griffin: my son

He is almost two years old and is very advanced for his age. He has already had a short career on stage with a child slightly older than him, and in his short life has visited eleven countries. Meg Griffin: my daughter

She is an 18-year-old girl that is currently in college. She is generally unpopular although is pure of heart and unfairly treated by most people because she is a plump and unattractive girl that wants to fit in.

Chris Griffin: my son Chris has a very low IQ and has been held back in high school to help him eventually graduate. He is sixteen and has had reasonable success in finding and keeping jobs, though is accident prone and easily fooled. Carol Pewterschmidt: sister of Lois

Carol’s defining feature is that she has had over 15 marriages break down, though she is now married to the Mayor of Quahog, a small New England town.

Patrick Pewterschmidt: brother to Lois

He was abandoned at a young age and sent to a psychiatric facility where he still remains. He is believed to have committed heinous crimes due to his inability to get over a childhood trauma that involved a very fat man.

Though my family tree is not a big one, though there are far more entries to it. The family tree I have created goes as far back as I can go given the resources at my disposal.

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The Human Family Tree Development Essay

The creation of a family tree is not only an entertaining activity that helps people find out their roots, establish connections, and observe a variety of genealogic lines. From a scientific point of all, all humans are the products of their family trees, and all primates usually share a common ancestor and possess diverged abilities (Mader and Windelspecht 654). The DNA inherent from ancestors defines certain physiological characteristics and body functions. Thus, the investigation of the existing lines of descent in a human family tree allows scientists to determine the worth of connection dots and differences and similarities between the ancestors.

Despite the intention to prove the progress and differences between the past and the present, certain connections remain inevitable and critical for understanding human evolution. A family or evolutionary tree represents a conventional structure that shows the relationships and documents common ancestry (Mader and Windelspecht 654). The purpose of any family tree is to demonstrate a lineage and enhance a better understanding of a crucial organizing principle of biological modifications. According to Mader and Windelspecht, Darwin’s idea that all humans evolved from apes is one of the “most unfortunate misconceptions” in the world (654). However, the dots in the human family tree reveal prosimians like lemurs and lorises as the first primates that diverge from the primate line, and apes, to which humans are related, represent the last group. This example proves that humans and apes might share a common ape-like ancestor, and humans cannot evolve from apes because both continue living at the same time. Therefore, connecting the dots in the evolutionary tree is important to avoid misunderstandings and wrong interpretations.

Sometimes, people do not find it necessary to know more about their ancestors, their existing differences, and their similarities. Still, there are many examples that explain the worth of such a connection. The evolutionary tree contains all lines of descent, and it is clear that the genes of the first two lineages are almost identical (Mader and Windelspecht 655). With time, genetic changes occur, and some of them are not related to adaptation. The split between humans and apes occurred about 7 million years ago in the human tree, and chimpanzees are the most closely related hominins that share about 90% of the human DNA (Mader and Windelspecht 655). This knowledge is important for such fields as psychology, medicine, and pharmacology because people might use these animals to promote new braincases and other experiments to help humans manage their health problems. Although many people reject the possibility of animal experiments for scientific purposes, the worth of the evolutionary tree in terms of finding the connections and biological similarities is evident.

In general, the reasons for connecting the dots of the human family tree and the awareness of human ancestors have to be clearly explained and recognized in biology. In addition to strengthening people’s understanding of the evolutionary modes, this knowledge helps explain the changes in human characteristics. It is important to find the answers to such questions as why evolution is not evident today or why human lines do not diverge the same way apes or other hominin representatives did. The human family tree is a vivid example of how to interpret molecular data and comprehend the split between human and ape lineages. Multiple benefits characterize the decision to connect the dots, and the most evident is the promotion of knowledge structuring in human evolution.

Mader, Sylvia, and Michael Windelspecht. Connect with LearnSmart Labs Online Access for Inquiry into Life . 16th ed. McGraw Hill, 2020.

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About my family.

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Subject: My family

Let me tell you about my family. I live with my mum, my dad and my big sister. We live in California. My mum’s name is Carmen. She’s Mexican and she speaks English and Spanish. She’s a Spanish teacher. She’s short and slim, she’s got long, brown hair and brown eyes. My dad’s name is David. He’s American. He’s tall and a little fat! He’s got short brown hair and blue eyes. He works in a bank. My sister Shania is 14 and she loves listening to music. She listens to music all the time! She’s got long brown hair and green eyes, like me. I’ve got long hair too. We’ve got a pet dog, Brandy. He’s black and white and very friendly.

Write soon and tell me about your family.

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To some learners, crafting Family Tree papers comes easy; others need the help of various types. The WowEssays.com catalog includes professionally crafted sample essays on Family Tree and related issues. Most definitely, among all those Family Tree essay examples, you will find a paper that get in line with what you see as a worthy paper. You can be sure that virtually every Family Tree paper presented here can be used as a sharp example to follow in terms of general structure and composing different chapters of a paper – introduction, main body, or conclusion.

If, however, you have a hard time coming up with a solid Family Tree essay or don't have even a minute of extra time to browse our sample directory, our free essay writer service can still be of great help to you. The thing is, our experts can craft a sample Family Tree paper to your individual needs and particular requirements within the pre-set timespan. Buy college essays today!

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Why so many people have problems with reading research paper.

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Reading problems are common among children in their first levels of learning but it has been seen to continue in some cases up to adulthood. Many of the people with reading disabilities have been associated with limited intelligence and these people have at times been said to have autism. However, associating reading disorder with autism and limited intelligence is all wrong. This is because there is medical and academic proof that dissociates reading disorder with limited intelligence.

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Tree Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on tree.

Tree Essay- Trees are our best friends because they clean the air we breathe. Likewise, they also clean the water and soil and ultimately make the earth a better place. It is also a fact that people who live near trees are healthier, fit, and happier than people who do not.

Moreover, it is our responsibility to look after our friends who serve us in many ways. Most importantly by saving plants, we are not doing any favor to plants but to ourselves only. Because trees and plants life does not depend on us but our lives depend on them.

Importance of Trees

Trees are important to us in a lot of ways and we cannot ignore their importance. They are important because they give us fresh air to breathe , food to eat and shelter/shade from sunlight and rainfall . Besides this, there are many medicines in the market that are made up of trees extracts. Apart from this, there are plants and trees that have medicinal value.

They bring peacefulness; create a pleasing and relaxing environment. Also, they help in reflecting the harmful rays of the sun and maintaining a balanced temperature . Besides, they also help in water conservation and preventing soil erosion . They also manage the ecosystem and from ancient times several varieties of plants are worshipped.

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Benefits of Trees

Trees provide us many benefits some of which we can’t see but they make a huge difference. They help in fighting back the climate changes by absorbing greenhouse gases which are the main cause of climate change.

Moreover, they replenish groundwater and filter the air from harmful pollutants and odors. Besides, they are a great source of food and the king of fruits ‘Mango’ also grow on trees.

Moreover, they are the cause of rainfall as they attract clouds towards the surface and make them rain. They can be teachers, playmates and a great example of unity in diversity.

Above all, they are a good source of reducing air, water, and noise pollution.

Value of Trees

When a seed of a plant or tree grow it makes the area around it greener. Also, it supports many life forms. Birds make their nests, many reptiles and animals live on it or near it.

Besides, all these many beautiful flowers, food growing on it. Moreover, many parts of trees such as roots, leaves , stem, flower , seeds , are also edible. Most importantly they never ask anything in return for their services and the gifts they give. Trees also keep the balance in the ecosystem and ecology.

To conclude, we can say that trees are very important and beneficial for every life form on earth. Without them, the survival of life on earth will become difficult and after some time every species starts to die because of lack of oxygen on the planet. So, to save our lives and to survive we have to learn the importance of trees and also have to teach our children the importance of trees.

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Create a Family Tree With Your Kids: An Exciting Way to Teach Your Family History

C hildren can be hard to impress these days. It’s sometimes difficult to find a common interest that parents and kids can share–and one that will keep kids engaged. But learning about their family’s history is one way  kids and parents can connect  while having fun.

Believe it or not, learning their family’s story can make a tremendous difference in establishing a little ones’ self-identity. So, how can we get our kids to WANT to learn about the ones who came before them? Create a  family tree !

A family tree project is cross between an art and a history project that will help you tell the story of your family in an engaging way. Don’t quite know how to make a family tree? Then let’s dive into our little how-to.

TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY WITH A FAMILY TREE PROJECT

Gather all the information.

Begin your family tree project by making a list of all the relatives you want to feature on your family tree. Go as far into the past as you can.

If you get stuck and can’t go back any further, ask your older relatives to share whatever names they still remember.

If you want to dig even deeper, there are all kinds of  genealogy websites  that can provide you with information about your lineage.  

DRAFT YOUR TREE

Once you have all the names and the date written down, it’s time to draft your family tree.

Pencil in your tree, and see how many generations back you can go. Decide whether you are going to include just the names and dates of births–or is there room to write about your relatives’ greatest achievements or interesting trivia about them?

Your draft may give you a hint about the size of your project and the materials you should use. 

PREPARE THE PHOTOS

Now that you have a general idea of the size of your family tree project and all the names you’ll be including, it’s time to see if you have photos of your relatives. Scout your old photo albums and ask your family members.

Don’t get discouraged if these old images have succumbed to age and improper handling. Luckily, you can fix all those cracks, stains, and creases. You can learn  how to restore old photos  in a few simple steps. With just a bit of your time, your images will be in tip top condition and ready to be featured on your family tree. 

GATHER THE MATERIALS

So now you have the idea, the photos, and a plan. All that is left are the materials. There is no perfect solution for what type of family tree to make.

Some people prefer to draw it on a large piece of paper or cardstock, or you could make a book. Go with whatever you feel more comfortable with, and then get all the materials ready.

CRAFT YOUR FAMILY TREE

And here’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. It’s time to get down to business. Assign a task for each family member.

Your kids can be in charge of cutting out the restored images and whoever has the best handwriting can write down the names, dates of birth, and whatever information you decide to feature on your family tree.

The most important thing is that you do it all together, and reminisce about the people you had the pleasure to know while you work. 

SHARE YOUR PROJECT

Since your family tree isn’t a just home decor or a poster, but a journey into your family’s foundation, make sure that all your loved ones get a chance to see it.

If some of your relatives live far away, take a photo of your project, and send it to them. Just don’t store your family tree away in a closet and forget about it. All of your hard work was meant to be seen and appreciated. After all, it contains the history of your family.

And, there you have it. This is how you can create a family tree and spend some truly meaningful time with your loved ones.

So gather your family on a cozy evening, and dive deep into the history of your family. Working on a family tree project is a great way to learn about your family's past, relive old memories, and create new ones.

________________

Create a Family Tree With Your Kids: An Exciting Way to Teach Your Family History first appeared on MomsWhoSave.com .

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Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

In 2015, Takahito Tsutsumitani was tasked with writing a review for a literary magazine on a book titled, “ Jibun de Tsukureru 200-nen Kakeizu .” It was a how-to book on creating your own family tree, a pursuit that had become a bit of a fad thanks to the popularity of the NHK documentary series, “Family History,” which explored the ancestral roots of various celebrities — similar to the PBS series “Finding Your Roots” in the United States.

“At that point, I was only aware of where my father came from — Kyoto,” says Tsutsumitani, now 46. “But as I began gathering koseki , a whole new, unknown world opened up before us.”

When it comes to family records in Japan, the koseki is paramount. It’s an official family register that documents and certifies the identity of Japanese citizens and their familial relationships — births, adoptions, marriages, deaths, divorce. It’s a system quite unlike anything outside of East Asia.

While creating family trees is a popular pastime that transcends borders, overseas the process tends to center on the individual doing the research, typically starting with collecting a birth certificate and other documents before working back toward parents and grandparents, linking generations one by one on the way. The koseki, on the other hand, is based on the family unit — a husband, wife and their unmarried children — and a new one is created whenever a marriage takes place and a new family is born.

It’s also not without controversy. Critics say the system is outdated and a potential source of societal and legal discrimination, specifically problematic with regard to gender equality, as couples cannot register a marriage without one legally assuming the other’s surname — almost always the husband’s.

Additionally, the koseki helps deal with inheritance matters in a graying society where deaths now far outpace births — 1,590,503 to 758,631 in 2023.

So when Tsutsumitani, a resident of Osaka, began tracing his family roots, he knew where to start. He began by requesting a copy of his koseki tohon , a record of all his family members, from his registered domicile’s ward office. This is opposed to a koseki shohon , which is an abbreviated version of the former that focuses on one specific person.

He received his koseki in two forms: a newer, electronically formatted and horizontally type-written one based on a style introduced in 1994, as well a certified copy of an invalidated family register, an older, vertically hand-written koseki containing the names of his parents, Tsutsumitani’s date of birth, where he was born and from which family register this particular koseki was created from.

He also obtained the joseki , a register of the names of those who have left the family through marriage or death. This was to collect as much information as possible since a person who died or was transferred in a previous family register will not be listed in the new family register, and changes in family structure may be missed.

Using the address listed in his koseki, Tsutsumitani then went to the municipal office of his parents' home about an hour away by train to apply for his father’s koseki. This contained the names of Tsutsumitani and his siblings as well as the address of his father’s previous family register from before he got married — his next lead.

“From there on, we entered unknown territory,” he says. “It was turning into quite an adventure.”

The man who connects the dots

“Jibun de Tsukureru 200-nen Kakeizu,” roughly translated as “Make Your Own 200-year-old Family Tree,” was written in 2015 by Masayuki Hashimoto, a certified administrative scrivener who specializes in creating genealogical charts. He’s been doing this for 18 years and has compiled around 1,000 family trees to date.

“Most requests come from those who are either interested in learning about their ancestors from a purely intellectual standpoint and others who want to leave such records for their descendants,” he says.

Hashimoto charges ¥77,000 for drawing up a family tree based on one surname and around ¥300,000 when it involves the lineages of both the client’s mother and father.

Additional fees emerge when he’s asked to dig even deeper beyond family registers, which often involves on-the-ground fieldwork and research into local history. He says he also receives occasional requests from Nikkei, non-Japanese of Japanese descent who live overseas and are curious about their heritage.

Typically, ancestral lineages up to the Meiji Era (1868-1912) or even the late Edo Period (1603-1867) can be traced using just the koseki, the old, invalidated koseki and joseki. As the client’s proxy, Hashimoto has these mailed to him from local government offices before drafting a pedigree chart.

In its most ancient form, the koseki can be traced back to the sixth century. Its modern incarnation, however, first appeared in 1872, soon after the Meiji Restoration, and was called the jinshin koseki . This version was far from perfect, since the format hadn’t been unified and some descriptions made it possible to single out those who had descended from Japan’s feudal outcasts, according to Takuma Aoyama, an official at the justice ministry’s koseki division. The jinshin koseki could include employees, mistresses and other sensitive information such as criminal records.

“The jinshin koseki are currently unavailable for inspection,” Aoyama says, adding that the documents are stored in strict confidence at local legal affairs bureaus.

The jinshin koseki was revised and standardized in 1886, and Hashimoto says this is the last koseki he looks for when tracking down the ancestors of his clients.

“That doesn’t mean I can always go this far back,” he says. “For example, Tokyo’s shitamachi (downtown) area was devastated by the American air raids of 1945, and many koseki have thus been destroyed.

“There were other events that led to the loss of koseki,” he adds, citing the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 that leveled Tokyo and took the lives of over 100,000 people, as well as the bloody Battle of Okinawa that raged on the southernmost island chain toward the end of World War II.

After gathering what relevant koseki he can, Hashimoto’s job is mostly complete. If he wants to investigate further by examining family patterns from early modern Japan, he can draw on other historical documents, including the shumon ninbetsu aratame-cho , a combination of religious investigation and local population registers, as well as the kako-cho , the death registers at Buddhist temples.

“Families of samurai and powerful village heads often submitted their lineage to the local feudal domain for record, and some old households still own their family trees,” he says. “Through these investigations, I occasionally discover that my client’s ancestors are connected to a historically relevant figure. There have also been cases where I’ve handed over the contacts of their distant relatives and a new friendship was nurtured.”

The household versus the individual

In the February 1976 issue of the monthly magazine Bungei Shunju, four members of the imperial family gathered to take part in a roundtable discussion. They touched on various topics, and at one point Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, the first cousin of Emperor Akihito, and Prince Nobuhito of Takamatsu, a younger brother of Emperor Showa, spoke candidly about the koseki system.

“I have to pay residents’ tax even despite not having a koseki,” Prince Tomohito is quoted as saying.

“It’s like having your civil rights suspended,” Prince Nobuhito replies with equal humor.

Their comments are cited in Masataka Endo’s “Koseki to Mukoseki — Nihonjin no Rinkaku,” a book that explores the history of koseki and those who have fallen through the cracks of the system.

Endo, one of the leading experts on the topic, says koseki were given to “subjects” by the emperor, and its presence — or absence — was the primary basis for separating the imperial family from the general population.

“Even today, the emperor does not have a koseki, and when a member of the royal family marries a commoner, they leave the royal family and lose their royal status, becoming a member of the general public,” he says.

Before World War II, koseki functioned as part of the ie seido (Japanese household legal structure), a social framework designed to continue over generations under which the household, family name and family business are passed on from father to the eldest son along a paternal line.

That system was abolished in 1947 under a postwar Constitution and revision to the Civil Code, where the basis for inheritance was changed from primogeniture to that of equal inheritance for all children. The household was also redefined to only constitute married couples and their unmarried children, putting a limit on the maximum number of generations under the same koseki to two.

However, there are people who, for some reason or another, have not had their births registered and are living without a family register. As of March 10, the justice ministry counted 771 such people, although there are some estimates that put the number at around 10,000.

Sometimes the problem can be attributed to social isolation or neglect, but the majority of cases stem from the century-old Civil Code’s provisions that states any child born within 300 days of a divorce shall be deemed to have been conceived during that marriage. This definition has prevented victims of domestic violence, for example, from registering their children in order to avoid contact with their former husbands.

That provision has been reformed, however, with a change that came into effect this month stipulating that if a woman is remarried at the time of birth, her current husband will be considered the child’s father.

Endo says those without a koseki can still participate in society, just as foreign residents who don’t have koseki do. As long as an individual has a certificate of residence, they can belong to national health insurance and pension plans, hold jobs and attend public schools. There are drawbacks, however — for example, such individuals are not able to obtain a Japanese passport.

“There’s a culture in Asia that places emphasis on the bloodline and family, valuing the household over the individual. And in Japan, the koseki is what records the household,” Endo says. “That sentiment has been around since ancient times and may be reflected in the newfound interest in creating family trees.”

Endo adds that the koseki system may be out of step with current realities, though, merely functioning as an archaic, moral tool that tries to define what being “Japanese” is. And with the new digital My Number ID system introduced in 2015, which focuses on individual residents of Japan, the relevance of the family register may be fading.

“The younger generation is hardly aware of their koseki, only coming in contact with them when applying for a passport or when getting married,” Endo says. “I myself really came face to face with my family’s koseki when my parents passed away and I needed them for inheritance purposes.”

“Family registers have become increasingly unfamiliar to the Japanese, and there is a stronger perception that they are a stumbling block in moving forward with issues such as separate surnames for married couples and same-sex marriages.”

There and back again

As Tsutsumitani delved deeper into his ancestry using available family registers, he began learning new aspects of his ancestral history.

“I knew my father had two other siblings, but I was shocked to find out he had another sister named Yukiko who died when she was 2 months old,” he says.

His grandfather's family register also contained the names of Tsutsumitani’s great-grandparents, whom he’d never heard of before. He also noticed how family structures reflected the social realities of the times: His great-grandfather, for example, had seven siblings, and his great-great grandfather had five. He also found old-school hentaigana , or variant kana, used in the names of family members.

As he climbed back up his lineage, his family’s registered domicile moved northward from Kyoto and up to Ishikawa Prefecture, an area unfamiliar to both Tsutsumitani and his known relatives. The final ancestor he arrived at was Satobe or Satohe, a name whose pronunciation he has yet to decipher.

Based on the dates of birth of his descendants, Tsutsumitani estimated Satobe was born before 1813. Satobe’s eldest son, Taromatsu, for example, was born on June 20, 1833, during the Tenpo Era (1830-44), which is known for a great famine.

However, the biggest surprise came when Tsutsumitani searched the Internet for the address he found on the oldest family register and stumbled upon one of the names mentioned in it. He decided to take the plunge and visit the place with his wife and son in the summer of 2016.

“We drove up north from Kanazawa and took a mountain road. We got out of the car near a place called Shinbo on the outskirts of Wajima,” he says, referring to the city known for its lacquerware that was devastated during the Jan. 1 earthquake that slammed the Noto Peninsula .

Shinbo, a district in the town of Mii, is a tiny hamlet. The family strolled through narrow paths between rice paddies and past small shrines nestled within forests until they happened upon a villager, an old woman, and explained why they were there. She knew the person they were looking for, took out her mobile phone and called him up: Sukeo Tsutsumidani, a member of the local volunteer fire department and the son of the late Sukeshichi Tsutsumidani. (Interestingly, Tsutsumitani’s relatives in Shinbo pronounce their surname with a “d” rather than a “t.”)

Sukeo invited the family to his beautifully weathered two-story home, and Tsutsumitani showed his host the family tree he had brought along. They exchanged stories about their relatives before visiting Sukeo’s family grave deep in the mountains to offer their prayers.

“It was like a revelation,” Tsutsumitani recalls. “These people I’ve been seeing on the koseki were very much real, having led their own lives, just like us.” He recently called up Sukeo, who told him that he was doing okay despite the disaster that struck the region nearly four months ago. “He said, ‘I’m in good spirits for now!’”

Did this journey into the past have any impact on Tsutsumitani’s young son?

“He’s a high-school student now. I asked him the other day whether he remembers the trip, and he said, ‘Not much,’” Tsutsumitani replies with a laugh. “In any case, I’d just like him to understand that he’s here because of the many, many ancestors who came before him.”

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Guest Essay

Saying Goodbye to My Brilliant Friend, the Poetry Critic Helen Vendler

By Roger Rosenblatt

The author, most recently, of “Cataract Blues: Running the Keyboard.”

One makes so few new friends in older age — I mean, real friends, the ones you bond with and hold dear, as if you’d known one another since childhood.

Old age often prevents, or at least tempers, such discoveries. The joy of suddenly finding someone of compatible tastes, politics, intellectual interests and sense of humor can be shadowed, if tacitly, by the inevitable prospect of loss.

I became friends with Helen Vendler — the legendary poetry critic who died last week — six years ago, after she came to a talk I gave at Harvard about my 1965-66 Fulbright year in Ireland. Our friendship was close at the outset and was fortified and deepened by many letters between us, by our writing.

Some critics gain notice by something new they discover in the literature they examine. Helen became the most important critic of the age by dealing with something old and basic — the fact that great poetry was, well, lovable. Her vast knowledge of it was not like anyone else’s, and she embraced the poets she admired with informed exuberance.

The evening we met, Helen and I huddled together for an hour, maybe two, speaking of the great Celtic scholar John Kelleher, under whom we had both studied; of Irish poetry; and of our families. Helen was born to cruelly restrictive Irish Catholic parents who would not think of her going to anything but a Catholic college. When Helen rebelled against them, she was effectively tossed out and never allowed to return home.

She told me all this at our very first meeting. And I told her the sorrows of my own life — the untimely death of my daughter, Amy, and the seven-plus years my wife, Ginny, and I spent helping to rear her three children. And I told Helen unhappy things about my own upbringing. The loneliness. I think we both sensed that we had found someone we could trust with our lives.

I never asked Helen why she had come to my talk in the first place, though I had recognized her immediately. After spending a life with English and American poetry — especially the poetry of Wallace Stevens — how could I not? The alert tilt of her head, the two parenthetical lines around the mouth that always seemed on the verge of saying something meaningful and the sad-kind-wise eyes of the most significant literary figure since Edmund Wilson.

And unlike Wilson, Helen was never compelled to show off. She knew as much about American writing as Wilson, and, I believe, loved it more.

It was that, even more than the breadth and depth of her learning, that set her apart. She was a poet who didn’t write poetry, but felt it like a poet, and thus knew the art form to the core of her being. Her method of “close reading,” studying a poem intently word by word, was her way of writing it in reverse.

Weeks before Helen’s death and what would have been her 91st birthday, we exchanged letters. I had sent her an essay I’d just written on the beauty of wonder, stemming from the wonder so many people felt upon viewing the total solar eclipse earlier this month. I often sent Helen things I wrote. Some she liked less than others, and she was never shy to say so. She liked the essay on wonder, though she said she was never a wonderer herself, but a “hopeless pragmatist,” not subject to miracles, except upon two occasions. One was the birth of her son, David, whom she mentioned in letters often. She loved David deeply, and both were happy when she moved from epic Cambridge to lyrical Laguna Niguel, Calif., to be near him, as she grew infirm.

Her second miracle, coincidentally, occurred when Seamus Heaney drove her to see a solar eclipse at Tintern Abbey. There, among the Welsh ruins, Helen had an astonishing experience, one that she described to me in a way that seemed almost to evoke Wordsworth:

I had of course read descriptions of the phenomena of a total eclipse, but no words could equal the total-body/total landscape effect; the ceasing of bird song; the inexorability of the dimming to a crescent and then to a corona; the total silence; the gradual salience of the stars; the iciness of the silhouette of the towers; the looming terror of the steely eclipse of all of nature. Now that quelled utterly any purely “scientific” interest. One became pure animal, only animal, no “thought-process” being even conceivable.

One who claims not to know wonders shows herself to be one.

She was so intent on the beauty of the poets she understood so deeply, she never could see why others found her appreciations remarkable. Once, when I sent her a note complimenting her on a wonderfully original observation she’d made in a recent article, she wrote: “So kind of you to encourage me. I always feel that everything I say would be obvious to anyone who can read, so am always amazed when someone praises something.”

Only an innocent of the highest order would say such a beautiful, preposterous thing. When recently the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded her the Gold Medal for Belle Lettres and Criticism, Helen was shocked.

“You could have floored me when I got the call,” she wrote to me, adding: “Perhaps I was chosen by the committee because of my advanced age; if so, I can’t complain. The quote that came to mind was Lowell’s ‘My head grizzled with the years’ gold garbage.’”

She was always doing that — attaching a quotation from poetry to a thought or experience of her own, as if she occupied the same room as all the great poets, living with them as closely as loved ones in a tenement.

Shelley called poets the “unacknowledged legislators of the world.” I never fully got that famous line. But if the legislators’ laws apply to feeling and conduct, I think he was onto something. If one reads poetry — ancient and modern — as deeply as Helen did, and stays with it, and lets it roll around in one’s head, the effect is transporting. You find yourself in a better realm of feeling and language. And nothing of the noisier outer world — not Donald Trump, not Taylor Swift — can get to you.

In our last exchange of letters, Helen told me about the death she was arranging for herself. I was brokenhearted to realize that I was losing someone who had given me and countless others so much thought and joy. Her last words to me were telling, though, and settled the matter as only practical, spiritual Helen could:

I feel not a whit sad at the fact of death, but massively sad at leaving friends behind, among whom you count dearly. I have always known what my true feelings are by whatever line of poetry rises unbidden to my mind on any occasion; to my genuine happiness, this time was a line from Herbert’s “Evensong,” in which God (always in Herbert, more like Jesus than Jehovah), says to the poet, “Henceforth repose; your work is done.”

She closed her letter as I closed my response. “Love and farewell.”

Roger Rosenblatt is the author, most recently, of “Cataract Blues: Running the Keyboard.”

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