Monthly Archives: August 2015

I finally did it! A couple years ago my husband started working on his family tree which sparked my interest to work on my own. At first I was reluctant and did not want to go down that path. Lately, it has just been on my mind and I could not let it go. I remember when I was younger saying that I did not know if I was a part of the right family. I felt so out of place at home, at school, just about anywhere. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. Now I am at the point where I am curious and wanting to know more about my family history. I got my kit in the mail Friday evening and put my sample of DNA in the mail yesterday. I am anxious to see what I find out. My husbands results told him about the different cultures that make up his DNA and even mentioned some locations where he may have relatives. He has gotten messages from people with similar DNA. It was pretty neat to see.

I am hoping to at least connect some more dots on my family tree. I really want to follow the lines of my dad’s father (whom I have only met once when he stayed with us for a visit and he passed a few years ago), my great-great grandmother on my dad’s side, and both of my mother’s parents. I did not get a chance to meet my grandmother. She passed when I was about 3 months old from breast cancer. It would be nice to know where I came from.

I do not have the unrealistic hope of thinking I will find all the answers and relatives. I know that we are black, so our history was lost. I won’t get too much into that right now, but it does bother me. I was talking with my husband and he was saying how people of other ethnic groups that chose to come to America were able to bring along their culture. They were not forced to leave their traditions but instead brought them with them. They have something to be proud of and know that they can carry on a tradition as their ancestors once did. Whereas with African-Americans, we have adopted American traditions as our standard for traditions. Most holidays I celebrated as a child because my mom put it all together. For me, it was more about family time but now as an adult, I have strayed away from some of those holidays as it does not feel genuine. I hate the not knowing but I hate feeling disconnected even more.

Have you searched for your family members through Ancestry.com? Have you thought about it? I would love to hear others stories. Please feel free to share in the comments or send me a message.