As an adoptee I’ve often speculated about which of my characteristics and personality traits are the result of the gene pool I came from as opposed to the environment I grew up in.
Is the reason I’ve never enjoyed large gatherings and parties because people in my tribe are naturally quiet and enjoy solitude?
Is my tendency to choose savory over sweet coded in my DNA?
One of the sweet pleasures of reconnecting with some members of my birth family, combined with the joy of having children and grandchildren and being able to observe the next generation, is being able to pick out things that seem to be family traits.
There are the physical similarities: I watch my granddaughter stride purposefully in front of me and watch how her left arm swings the same way as her mom’s–the same way mine does.
There are also similarities in likes and dislikes, skills and talents. For example, my people have a penchant for reading and writing.
Little Makiya, my granddaughter–who is not yet four-years-old–can read and has been reading for a number of months! She’s a sharp little girl and my daughter is a born teacher, but I believe it’s also a result of a natural talent that stems, at least in part, from my bloodlines. My daughter taught herself to read before she started school and I’ve always been an avid reader too.
A few years ago I wrote about my surprise in learning that my sister had recently finished writing a memoir about her experience with breast cancer. Her story, A Pink Ribbon Journey was published earlier this year.
My daughter, Laurinda, has always been a writer, and earlier this year she was published in an anthology called The Woman I’ve Become.
My own memoir Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude was released this year.
For me, there’s no doubt that writing is in our genes.
This year has been the year of the memoir for my family! I think it’s just a matter of time until my granddaughter, Makiya, starts writing too. Perhaps in a few years I’ll be writing about a fourth book written by a member of my family–this time by my granddaughter!
Speaking of grandchildren, we’re heading out for vacation in the morning, on our way to celebrate an early Christmas in, what I like to call, the happiest place on earth! No, it’s not Disneyland, it’s much better than that! It’s Grandchild Land!
Linda, what a joy to see and hear and read all these characteristics and traits that are similar among your tribe members. I love that there are now three published memoirs! You are a highly productive writing tribe. 🙂
It’s a joy to me too, Sherrey!
Linda,
That is so cool that you have so many writers, specifically memorists, in your family. It seems that it goes beyond “just writing,” since memoir involves self-reflection, compassion, understanding, and the ability to make sense of our lives … enough to be able to write coherently about it! Amazing what biology can do …
Laura
I like your observation that “memoir involves self-reflection, compassion, understanding, and the ability to make sense of our lives”, Laura. That truly is the gift that writing our life stories gives to us, isn’t it?
Dear Linda, what a legacy in that gene pool. Peace.
Thanks for stopping by, Dee!
HI Linda; we would be related in that my father and your mother were cousins as their fathers were brothers. My sister has always wanted to write especially children’s books, she also would have liked to go to univ
ersity and become a teacher but was discouraged from doing so. It would be great to learn more about you and your now family. I find family history very interesting now, and wish I had asked by dad more questions when he was alive. He would have turned 100 this year as your uncle Ruth’s dad also.