Growing up with photo albums, I discovered how my family moved through history – and how their stories still shape me. Even when memories are painful – especially with SADS and loss – looking back becomes an act of respect: acknowledging the whole person and making their memory a blessing for future generations.
By: Rachel for the SADS Foundation
Published November 10, 2025 | 5 min read
“Family history isn’t just names and dates – it’s how I learned to heal and listen to the lives that came before me.”
I was asked to write about my experience being a family historian and what it has done for me. I have been interested in my family history for many years. It started with going through photo albums as a child, which was one of my favorite hobbies. Once I got far back enough, I started seeing people I didn’t recognize and asking my parents and grandparents about them, and from there, a whole world opened up to me. I was fascinated by the way our family had moved through history, interacting with and being affected by historical events that I was learning about in class.
Studying my family history has brought me many things, from a closer relationship with my grandparents to a better understanding of myself and the reasons I was raised in the way that I was. Not all of it has been sunshine and rainbows-as with any family, there are difficult, painful memories-but overall, it’s been an opportunity for understanding.
One of the major things that family historian work has done for me has also been to understand the health and habits of the family members that came before me, which in turn has helped me understand things about my own health. As with any Jewish family, there is a tradition of anxiety that sometimes manifests itself in various health problems. This can sometimes look like stomach troubles, or, in my case, autoimmune disorders triggered by stress. Looking back over my family history also taught me what to expect in terms of health evolution over the years, and doctor’s appointments that I would need to make as I got older.
If you’re ready to map your own story, the SADS Foundation’s Family Health History page offers step-by-step tools to start conversations and track heart rhythm conditions in your family. Learn more 👉
“Knowing our past, even the painful parts, is how we make their memory a blessing.”
With things like SADS conditions, looking back can be very painful. Premature death and disability can have profound and lasting effects on family dynamics and overall mental health. It’s understandable to want to forget your experiences and not go opening old wounds. But it is important to be informed about your history, both so that you can better expect future challenges and heal from the trauma the past has caused. I like to think of it as honoring the lives that came before you as they were, not as they could have been. Even if you are looking into something very painful, that memory is a piece of a person that was once alive, and without it, their story wouldn’t be complete. Putting that piece together with your better memories is a way to respect their personhood, to say, “You were here, someone loved you, and someone still loves you, exactly as you are.”
In Judaism, we refer to our deceased loved ones by saying “may their memory be a blessing.” Cataloguing family history, taking the good and the bad and allowing it to inform you as you live your life, is a way to honor the loved ones that are no longer here, to make their memory a blessing. It is a wonderful gift that you can share with your whole family, and pass on to future generations, and one that will never depreciate in value.
Need help now? Connect with our Family Support Team for referrals, resources, and community.
Contact | Get Support | Donate