November 11, 2025
We're nearing the end of 2025, and two days ago I discovered that studying my familial ancestry is angering a few family members. Why, might you ask? Because what I'm uncovering is 'embarrassing' and 'bringing shame' to 'the family'. One person even went so far as to tell me that God forgave generational sins, would 'cover' generational curses, and I needed to stop digging stuff up! When I read that mini-sermon and admonishment, I said aloud, "What the hell? What is the sin? What is the curse? Who the hell does this person think they are?" And then I laughed at the hilarity of it all!
Let's step back to many moons ago when I was in my late teens and my maternal grandmother lived with us. From the time I was a small child, I was held captive by her stories of ancestors and the times they lived in. She was in her early eighties and I was wise enough to know that she wouldn't live forever. Over several days I sat near her with pen and paper as she gave me names, correct spellings, dates, locations and stories of people that came before she and I. When we'd finished, she said that she hoped those things wouldn't die with her and that someone would keep a record. I promised her I would.
Fast forward to the invention of the internet and my discovery of Ancestry.com. I made a tree and taking Grandmother's notes, I started filling it in. Thankfully, extended family were also on the site and they, too, were making a record of what their elder family had relayed to them. Of course, sometimes the information was absolutely ridiculous.
One distant cousin on one line had told everyone we were descendants of a great and mighty Indian Chief. She stated that he had married a white woman and they had a bunch of kids, and one of those kids was our ancestor. One winter evening I had time on my hands and started researching by dates and ages, as well as the history of this Indian Chief. Within a couple of hours I had disproven the distant cousin's claims because: 1) The Chief hated white people and killed all he came in contact with, including women and infants, and 2) In order for that Chief to have impregnated the supposed white woman, that woman would have been four years old at the time of the birth of her THIRD child! A few years later when I, along with a male sibling, sent in our DNA swabs for analysis, it came back that there was not a drop of NAI blood anywhere along that particular bloodline!
But, for the most part, I've been able to determine, through all the factual resources offered by the website, a pretty clear picture of my family tree back to the early 1800's for most, and back to the early 1700's for one particular line. And then comes the DNA matching, and that is both confusing and extremely fascinating. The confusion comes in trying to determine 'who' links us, and to date, there is no fast or easy way to do this. But the fascinating part is realizing how many people I share segments of my DNA with, where they are all located, AND the fact that I am linked to people of different races than my own! When Ancestry.com shows me a face and states that this is my DNA cousin, and I find my photo beside the photo of a woman or man of a different race, I smile because I find it absolutely beautiful!
THIS is the part that infuriates, embarrasses, and brings shame to my family members! Meanwhile, I'm sitting here infuriated, embarrassed and ashamed that I am related to such narrow-minded, hate filled people, and people who profess to be Christians at that!
As a believer in God, and the story of Adam and Eve, I believe that we all originated from two individuals from long, long ago. It is because of this that I have always felt that any racist views and opinions are wrong. If I love God, which I do, then I must love my beginnings, which I also do, and I must love and accept all humans as brothers and sisters, which they are, according to the Holy Bible. The most beautiful tapestries are woven with colorful threads and ofttimes wild textures, just like this life. And I for one, appreciate that work of art that only God could create.
This time of year I used to sit for hours in the hunting blind. I carried my binoculars, my camera, and my journal. A gentle breeze was the only sound and eventually I'd be blessed with the sight of grey fox, porcupine, badgers, skunks, white tail deer, mule deer, and javelina coming in to the feeder or water trough. Many times all would feed together, keeping a respectful distance, but allowing the other wild creatures to quench their hunger or their thirst without any fighting.
If the wild things of the world can be respectful toward one another, why do some humans have to be such ass-holes to other humans??? It's 2025, for crying out loud!
Be kind, be respectful, and be a blessing!
Jenn
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