\"The DNA Trail\": Uncovering Who We Are and Where We Come From

👀 Pre-Reading Questions

• Have you ever researched your family history?

• Do you know where your grandparents or great-grandparents were born?

• Would you take a DNA test to learn more about your ancestry?

Life Is Short. Family Is Forever.

Don Oside was just a teenager when a simple family road trip changed the way he saw his past forever.

His dad had rigged a bike rack to the back of their trailer as they cruised across the wide highways of Arizona in their old station wagon. Suddenly, a car drove up next to them, honking and waving. Their bikes had fallen off and been crushed by a passing Greyhound bus. Only one bike survived.

Later, when they stopped in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to get it repaired, Don’s father wrote his name on the service slip at a bike shop. The man behind the counter looked at it and said, “Don... Don Oside? You and I are cousins.”

Don was stunned. How could he be related to a stranger in a small-town bike shop? This unexpected discovery made him wonder: If I’m related to this guy, who else might I be related to?

Years later, Don reflected on how little people really know about their roots. “We all have eight great-grandparents,” he said, “but most people can’t name them.” As generations pass, the link to our family’s past tends to disappear.

He remembered a photograph his grandmother once gave him—a faded image of a painting showing her grandmother. The only name she knew was Mary McEwen. That photo intrigued him. Don began asking questions. Why had Mary left Scotland for Chicago? What kind of life did she imagine for her children?

Back then, researching family history meant spending hours in courthouses, libraries, and city archives. Today, with just a computer and a cup of tea, people can find obituaries, census data, grave markers, and old newspaper records from the comfort of their own homes. Don eventually discovered, through census documents, that Mary’s grandson became a famous actor—one his grandmother watched on TV without ever knowing they were related. He was her second cousin.

Curious to go deeper, Don took a 23andMe DNA test. The results matched him with a man named Phil—possibly a third cousin. They had never met before, but Don flew to Texas to visit him. As they looked through an old photo album together, Don saw familiar names on the back of one image. All the names matched his research.

Don now gives this advice to anyone willing to listen: label your photographs, ask questions, and share stories before they disappear forever. “If Facebook had existed in 1848,” he joked, “just imagine the connections we’d have kept.”

Because in the end, life is short—but family is forever.

🌍 South African Snapshot: My Own DNA Discovery

As the writer of this post and a proud South African, I decided to take a DNA test through My Heritage out of pure curiosity. I’ve always identified as an Afrikaner—but like many of us, I didn’t really know the full story of where my family came from.

When the results arrived, I was amazed by the rich blend of ancestry I carry:

• Dutch: 48.8%

• English: 15.6%

• Germanic Europe: 13.8%

• Irish: 6%

• French: 6%

• Danish: 3.6%

• Scottish & Welsh: 2.9%

• Swedish: 1.1%

• Eastern European: 1.1%

• Central Asian: 1.1%

It was both surprising and meaningful. What I had always thought of as a simple South African identity turned out to be a beautiful mosaic of European and even Central Asian heritage.

Now, when I think about my ancestors, I see beyond a single story. These numbers are more than just percentages—they’re a reminder that my roots stretch across borders and centuries. Since then, I’ve started diving deeper into my family history with the help of online archives, DNA matches, and old photographs. And I can tell you—it’s absolutely worth the journey.

🧠 Vocabulary Builder

• Rig – to fix or arrange something in a rough or temporary way

• Station wagon – a type of long car with extra storage space at the back

• Obituary – a newspaper notice about someone’s death

• Second cousin – the child of your parent’s cousin

• Ancestry – your family origins or ethnic background

• Census – an official count and record of the population

• Label – to write names or information on something (e.g., a photo)

• Mosaic – something made up of different parts that form a beautiful whole

• Archive – a collection of historical records or documents

• Heritage – cultural or family history passed down through generations

• Curiosity – a strong desire to know or learn something

🔍 Reading Comprehension Quiz

Choose the best answer:

• Why did Don Oside become interested in family history?
  a) He read a book about DNA
  b) He visited a museum
  c) He discovered a cousin by accident
  → Correct answer: c

• What did Don learn from a census record?
  a) His great-grandmother was a teacher
  b) A family member became a famous actor
  c) His cousin lived in France
  → Correct answer: b

• Why does Don suggest labelling photographs?
  a) To sell them later
  b) So future generations can know who’s in them
  c) To improve your handwriting
  → Correct answer: b

• What made Don's grandmother unknowingly connected to someone on TV?
  a) She used to act in films
  b) She was friends with an actor
  c) The actor was her second cousin
  → Correct answer: c

• What does Don encourage others to do?
  a) Stop using social media
  b) Keep family secrets
  c) Ask questions and share family stories
  → Correct answer: c

💬 Discussion Questions

• Would you take a DNA test to discover your roots?

• How much do you know about your family’s origins?

• Have you ever been surprised by a family connection?

• What’s one photo or object from your family you’d never throw away—and why?

📈 Interesting Facts & Statistics on DNA Testing

• 1 in 5 Americans (21%) has already taken a direct-to-consumer DNA test—and 43% say they or a close family member has done so, often to learn about ancestry, health, or family connections.

• Among those who took a DNA test, a remarkable 25% uncovered previously unknown close relatives, and 33% reported being surprised by their results.

• 80% of DNA test users cite curiosity about their origins as their primary motivation—still the top reason for testing.

• For many, the results impact more than heritage: 16% of users said their DNA report changed how they viewed their own racial or ethnic identity.

• Interestingly, between 0.4% and 5.9% of DNA tests reveal a non-paternity event—meaning the person believed to be their father is not biologically related.

🌟 Reflection: Reconnection Starts with a Question

Sometimes we don’t realize how much of our identity is hidden in the past—waiting to be uncovered. For years, people have let family stories fade because they thought they weren’t important or didn’t know where to begin.

But the smallest question — “Where did my grandparents grow up?” or “What does my surname mean?”— can open a door to something powerful. These discoveries often lead to a deeper understanding of who we are and where we belong.

History is full of surprising connections. Many great innovators and leaders weren’t born into wealth or fame—they traced their strength through their roots. Digging into family history can help us see patterns, resilience, and even values passed down through generations.

So, take that first step. Ask someone older about their memories. Open that dusty photo album. Your story doesn’t start today—it started long before you were born. And when you understand your past, you gain direction for your future.

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