S and I share two small DNA segments, one in chromosome 9 and another in one the chromosomes X. We have a total of 0.33% shared DNA. Based on this, it can be inferred that we are 4th cousins so we might have a common ancestor approximately 5 generations ago.
By doing her ancestry genetic test, S found out that her father with whom she grew up was not her biological father. Something that she already suspected because of the physical characteristics of their parents with respect to herself and also because since she was little her older sister always told her that her real dad was not her real dad but her mother never confirmed it.
Through her ancestry genetic test, she matched with a half-sister that she did not know before. Her new half-sister knew who her father was and she was able to share with S his name and pictures. S was shocked to see how much she looked like her biological father. Her father had died in 2014 so she will not get to know him but S is connecting with her new relatives, now she has 4 half-siblings from his side. We are connected through her father and my mother. S already has a family tree from her father's side so when a new person connects with her, she tries to place them in their line. We could not get very far in how I fit in her new puzzle.
We reflect about different forms of unexpected results we can get from a DNA test and how these results could affect us, could affect our health or our emotional state. We went through different examples of unexpected results we both have experienced, directly or indirectly. Aside from our DNA connection, we connect at a personal level, we both love to travel and to be at the ocean but we also talked about other passions and heard breaking stories.
For S, belongingness is to be connected in a variation of relationships, the community that you have that supports you and loves you, in her case her mother´s family. In my case too.
