Many years ago I realized how important it is to know where you come from and 
I started digging around in my family "forest."  I know that I come from many 
different types of trees and I wanted to find out what kinds of trees those 
were.  So far I have found roots in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, 
Switzerland, Austria, and right here in North America.  

I think that Alex Hayey said it best: "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-
deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we have come from. 
Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what 
our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum. An emptiness. And the most 
disquieting loneliness." 

And remember, while you are searching for your roots, 
"Genealogy begins as an interest,
Becomes a hobby;
Continues as an avocation,
Takes over as an obsession,
And in its last stages,
Is an incurable disease."
~author unknown