A few months ago I was given the ANCESTRY DNA test. While I understood enough about what the DNA processes was, I admit that I was not 100% educated on all that they would do with my bit of spit. Well a little more than a bit. I did have to spit twice because the first one came back as unreadable.
Some back story….
I was taken at out my biological home when I was very young. At 2 ½ I came to live with my now parents. At 5 ½ the adoption was finale. Due to laws changing in Kansas at the time grandparents where given the first opportunity to adopted me. One was not able to and the other that was given the option denied that I was even her grandchild.
I am sure my story is not unique or unheard of but I grew up knowing who my bio-mom was yet I was unsure about bio-father. By name I was one mans but by medical records I was another’s. On top of all that was already happening, the other man was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Que Maury…
( No thankfully no one decided to drag us onto daytime TV! )
I grew up knowing this but was more aware of the fact that I was chosen than by the sad thread that my biological side was unraveling. In the end I believe that all things happen for a reason and I was so blessed with the parents that picked me.
I have been building my tree(s) on ancestry since March of 2010. For the good part of 7 years I used the free site adding information that I had and searching and piecing together what I could. With the DNA test I was also given a six month subscription to the paid site. This all happened around the time I had planned to get back at the blogging thing. You can see from my lack of post what took priority. So Sorry!
I had been able to go many, many generations back on my biological mother’s side. Both her parents’ lines (Walker and Riley) have been well documented. As I was unsure about my paternity but knew the two names of the gentleman in question I began to research both sides with the hope of stumbling across a picture of an ancestor that looked just like me and I would be able to solve the greatest mystery of genealogical career. Over the years nothing popped.
As I took my DNA test I hoped that I might get those answers. I waited double long (the Lord knows I need to work on patients) and the day the results came I admit I was excited, nervous, overwhelmed, afraid and some other feelings I have not put a name to yet.
It took me a few hours to understand what all was sent, and then it took me another day to decipher the results. One thing that did not suprise me was my Ethnicity Estimates.
While I was not on a particular team I knew that one would be clearly defined as my paternal line. With researching both lines I did get attached to both family lines. Now that I know who my biological father is I feel like a lot of light has been shown but there are still so many questions that I still have. Part of me is disappointed that I may never be in contact with someone from my paternal line as was suspected my biological father passed away many years ago and his parents have now passed. I am not sure where to go from here with this side of my tree but I would love someday to find a picture of him.
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him…Colossians 2:7