Two visits from strangers became high points in my life.

In 1977, "the Laytons of Idaho" came to Kansas City to meet a son's plane. The trip also gave them the opportunity they wanted to trace ancestors who had migrated, and settled, in Johnson County in the 1850s.

Genealogical research brought the Laytons to our farm home, near Gardner and Spring Hill. My husband was a long-lost cousin and we lived on Turner family land. Nearby cemeteries had markers noting the burial places of family members we had in common.

Call it magic, genetics, whatever—we found an instant kinship! No longer strangers, we have kept up a correspondence for 34 years.

In April 2011, it happened again.

A business trip from Idaho to Kansas City brought one of the Laytons' sons to us. He and his wife were eager to meet family members and see their ancestors' early home. Again, instant kinship!

We spent the better parts of two days looking at photos, exploring old buildings, touring the countryside, hiking in cemeteries, dining, and visiting. When they left, I was in tears at saying goodbye.

There are serious philosophical reasons for studying genealogy, or it can simply be a hobby. If you're hunting for a new activity, try it. Far from being a dull history lesson, featuring dusty books and spooky cemeteries, genealogy will let you meet interesting, lively people from all over the world who share similar backgrounds and have all kinds of fascinating experiences to relate.

In our conversations, although we looked back at our pasts, we also looked forward to the futures of our children and the world they will inherit from us.

I may not see the Laytons again, for I am almost 90 years old. My life has been filled with memorable experiences. Right near the top of the list are the visits of the Laytons.

What fun to find kin!