DNA Voyage with iGENEA: An Intimate Dance with my Ancestry
Family name Wald
A transformative journey with iGENEA expanded my understanding of my lineage, grounding my ancestry to central and Eastern European roots. The experience amplified the significance of my surname 'Wald,' adding untold layers to my identity narrative. This glimpse into my genetic heritage was a potent blend of emotions, a journey beyond space and time that deepened my perception of "family," broadening it beyond immediate relations.
Before my encounter with iGENEA, I scrambled among hearsay, shared family stories, and the grainy, black-and-white photographs of my ancestors to piece together the puzzle that was my heritage. The surname 'Wald' had always placated a sense of reverberation in me, a profound but nebulous connection to generations long past, whispering the stories of our lineage, commonly linked to forts and forest guards.
Eagerly, I embarked on this journey with iGENEA, rife with anticipation tinged with trepidation. The saliva sample collection process was easily navigable, though for moments it felt bizarre, incredibly surreal, to think that I was about to mail a piece of me to discover more about... well, me.
As I waited for the result, my mind cycled through a whirlwind of emotions - excitement, curiosity, but also, an underpinning of anxiety. What if my findings contradicted the treasured stories my grandparents had woven, the very fabric of our shared identity?
When the awaited day arrived, with trembling fingers, I unveiled my genetic landscape, a timeline rooted in epochs before my existence, unveiling the rich tapestry of my past. The revelation affirmed my connection to central Europe, and showcased a percentage of Eastern European lineage, something I had not anticipated. In some peculiar way, having this evident confirmation sparked a profound sense of grounding, of belongingness.
My surname - 'Wald' - seemed to carry an even deeper significance; an emblem of ancestral resilience, migrations, love stories and hardships, condensed into the biosphere of my DNA. This epiphany triggered a wave of profound respect and gratitude towards my ancestors, their struggles, their survival, and their stories echoed in my being.
iGENEA offered an astonishing insight into the broader scope of my familial ties, beyond what I had imagined. Yet, it is not about redesigning my identity; rather, it was about deepening my understanding of it.
From this process, I came to understand that the construct of "family" extends beyond our immediate relations. Each one of us is an anthology of human history, a living testament to the flow of time and life, interconnected in ways beyond our comprehension.
H. Wald