My name is Ryan. In 2013 I had a job I didn’t particularly like with the one huge benefit of a lot of unsupervised free time. In that free time I did a lot of crossword puzzles, read innumerable books and newspapers, helped to grade my wife’s math tests and most importantly fell in love with genealogical research.

​I’ve since changed jobs, a few times, but my passion for ancestral research is just as strong if not stronger than it was back then.

While researching my family tree I began to notice that there were some major gaps in what information was available.

Then in the Fall of 2019, I was sitting in a diner with my wife and daughter, when I happened to look out the window and noticed a car bumper sticker that said “live your dash.”

There are lots of seemingly meaningless bumper stickers out there and this one had me puzzled. Thankfully I decided to ask my better half if she knew what it was all about.

She said, “oh yeah, it’s based on this great poem called ‘The Dash’.

I promptly looked it up and found it to be very powerful.

My main job is a licensed mental health counselor and I’m always looking for ways to inspire my clients.

This poem certainly inspires me – maybe it can inspire you too.

I’d like to live my dash by helping others learn more about their family members dashes.

Thanks so much for visiting this website. Any and all feedback is warmly welcomed.