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The Authentic Eclectic

My Unknown Family History Makes Me Nervous To Find Out My 23 and Me DNA Results

Adoption, family secrets, and parental estrangement can make DNA testing complicated

Steffany Ritchie

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Photo by Aliyah Jamous on Unsplash

For Christmas, my Mom gave me a 23 and Me “trace your DNA” type of kit (well, she re-gifted me one she had bought for herself on impulse!).

She realized that my DNA might be more of a mystery because she already had her basic info as two of her siblings had already taken the test. Whereas it’s always been a big question mark on my Dad’s side what is going on.

I was initially thinking more along the lines of “Am I part Viking?” as my Mom’s lineage is pretty straightforward boring Anglo Saxon/Celt, and I take after my Dad more in many ways.

He is tall, thin, and has red hair (I’m like one gene marker away from being a true redhead). He has that Scandi kinda look (but who knows). We both have green(ish) eyes (his are more hazel/brownish, I got the muddy olive-green eyes) and that redhead who burns first but also tans gene.

When I was a kid he always called my hair “strawberry blonde” and I hated it, I didn’t want to be a redhead. My hair ended up more of a light brown that pulls red or blonde depending on the…

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