When I was growing up and able to watch TV, I saw families depicted as the characters on Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet, or Leave it to Beaver. Dad went off to work every day in his suit and tie, and Mom kept house in her pearls and heels, while the kids were deliriously happy in their suburban home and neighborhood.
When I was five, my father left home one day and never returned. My Mom became the person going to work at a factory every day trying hard to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our back. I spent all my school vacation time with my mother’s parents and was very close to them.
As a child I experienced the myriad of emotions connected to feeling rejected by a parent. I spent my grade school years wondering why and what if. Some time during my teenage years, I accepted the cards I’d been dealt and moved on worrying more about my own decisions.
I recently opted to submit my DNA to Ancestry.com for analysis. I paid $99Â online, filled out the form, and they sent me a kit. The kit had a number which I entered online and that activated it. I deposited saliva into the tube, mixed it with the preservative provided, sealed it up, and sent it on its way.
Here’s what I received in about four weeks.
Europe West:Â Primarily located in Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein
If I’d know I was 32% Irish, I probably would have bought more souvenirs when visiting Ireland. 🙂
The genetic communities piece is interesting. I like the idea that the French side might have come down from the St. Lawrence because maybe I’m related to some of the Canadian bloggers I follow. 🙂 I also have a document from a maternal cousin that shows our ancestors were in Rhode Island as early as 1664.
What am I going to do with this information now? I’m still trying to decide if I want to invest further in a subscription and try to establish a family tree. I am very interested in my maternal relatives but not so much with my paternal side. That emotional ship sailed too long ago.
If only I had been wise enough to spend more time asking questions of my grandparents. But, when I was young, I thought I knew everything and what could they possibly know that I didn’t – a lot. If only I’d asked.
Here I am at a similar age, and I don’t have any family members asking me about  memories either. I guess we don’t learn from generation to generation. Of course, I’m also looking for a good old-fashioned conversation with the sharing of photos in a time when I should be uploading, posting,  sharing or tweeting.
I have active social media accounts, but I’m not immersed in the online lifestyle, and that’s the way I prefer it even though I know it declares me a dinosaur. 🙂
So, have you used any online options for creating a family tree? Was it worth the cost and effort? Suggestions, comments, or feedback – all are welcome.
Best wishes for a great second week in August. 🌸
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Even with one shutter missing, isn’t this one beauty of a historic New England home with its bright red door and attached breezeway and barn?
