Inside Gigi's World

Well, here we are again.

I know, I already asked this question.

I sent out my DNA what seems like a lifetime ago.

I spit in a tube, cracked open the blue solution, shook it up for the allowed time, dropped it in it’s envelope and brought it to the post office.

If I am being honest, I am not sure what I was expecting. I told myself that I wasn’t expecting much, however I must have been looking for something because I watched for those results like a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

You see, I am not sure if I had mentioned this before but I never knew my Dad’s paternal side. And although I felt like I never missed out on anything by not knowing any of them, I was still a little curious. Was there someone else out there like me? Maybe someone I may look like because although I see similarities with other family members, I don’t always feel like I look like any of them.

I also thought it would be neat to see what I am genetically made of. Am I Polish? Am I French? I was always told I was both of these things but was I 50/50 like I have always been told? Was there more to my story?

As I waited I grew more and more impatient. Then today, just like that, I hear a small beep on my phone. It was a notification. And just like that, right in front if me, in my hands, my genetic make up.

I am mostly French, however the region of France my family is from was mostly settled by Italian and Portuguese when it was established. I am English & Northwestern Europe. Eastern Europe & Russia which is where my Polish comes from however it wasn’t nearly as much as my Mother thought it would be. The surprises were Germanic Europe, European Jewish, Scotland,Sweden, Baltic and Spanish.

So what does this mean? What did I learn from this?

Here is an answer I didn’t except…. I guess nothing.

I didn’t have some life confirming catharsis like I thought I would. Only a few questions were answered, that if I am being honest with myself, had I not known the answers I may have been annoyed but it wouldn’t have been the end of the world either

So what am I? That seemed to be what I was looking to figure out.

I am loud. I am not afraid to use my voice even when I probably shouldn’t.

I care about people, most times more than I even realized I did.

I am lucky enough to usually be able to see both sides of things. In my world, things are much too colorful to see things as black and white.

I am a sister. A daughter. A mom. A wife.

I am loyal.

And I am strong.

I am smart.

I am quick witted with a sharp tongue.

I am short tempered but recognize that and will be the first to admit when I am wrong.

I hold my head high and am not afraid to look someone square in the eyes and have no problem telling them when I think they are being assholes.

I am someone who believes in accountaby.

And I am someone who believes if the world could just learn to smile and not take everything so personally and just laughed and loved a little more then the world would be a much better place.

I gave birth to two of the best human beings that I have ever walked this Earth. I felt them move within me and I danced with them once they were out in this world.

I teach them all of these things above and I am hopeful that once I leave this place, my greatest mark in this lifetime will be them.

Where am I from?

Well, I guess that answer was simple enough once I actually thought about it.

I am from a small town I Massachusetts, smack dab in the middle of a bunch of other small towns.I grew up on a street where there was no grass but there was community. Some of which I consider my family because if I am being honest, what is family anyways? Did you know once you get to your third cousin you only share .001% of DNA with them. So if that makes them family, then why wouldn’t experiences and shared lives?

I grew up on a street that people looked down on but now that I am older, look back fondly on, full of cook outs, laughter, fights, playing in the rain and late night games of manhunt and sitting on the ledges of windows talking through screens.

I grew up on a street that taught me I was better than no one and no one was better than me. Money was just as scarce as diamonds but we had our health, our bicycles, our sense of humor and adventure and when all else failed, we had each other.

I guess I already knew what I was before I sent that tube of spit out into the world. But I guess I just needed a small reminder.

My biggest take away from this, I am Spanish and if there is a clone of me or a sheep with my DNA, it’s no one’s fault but my own