Ancestry Discoveries

<p>Ancestry Discoveries: What Happens Under the Sheets Doesn't Stay There -This is a story of how I at age fifty-seven discovered a family secret by taking an Ancestry.com DNA test. I was eager to explore my lineage. Would I discover a Native American heritage? Was I royalty? Was I related to Lucille Ball? Carol Burnett? Anything seemed possible!</p><p>  </p><p>What I discovered was that my father-who raised me walked me down the aisle sang with me at the piano and whom I adored-was not my biological father at all. </p><p><br></p><p>I am an NPE (Not Parent Expected) or MPE (Mis-attributed Parental Event) person. As much as 30% of the world may share this identity. Thanks to recreational DNA testing the secrets and lies are exposed with numbers increasing.</p><p><br></p><p>In Ancestry Discoveries I tell the story of the discovery and the unraveling of truths thereafter but explore the plight of the NPE person hoping my story might serve as someone else's survival guide.</p><p><br></p><p>The shock and scandal of the discovery are only the first step in a life of readjustment-for me and for many like me. My life felt like a lie until I made it true. The search for connection led me on an adventure of discovery to places I never thought I would go. Seeing this new world with a new set of lenses fostered personal growth and breakthroughs. The choice was plain: I could choose to be a victim or an adventurer. I chose the latter. There were connections to be made disconnections to endure and reconnections to explore. The most profound connection I made was to myself. What Happens Under the Sheets Doesn't Stay There and I am proof of that.</p><p><br></p>