This article has also been published at The Newton Beacon.

Difficult times like now, present a possibility to think more about who I am at the core. A chance to do this appeared because of my relationship with Ancestry.com.

I use Ancestry.com for various purposes – family history and backdrops for my books. I’ve traced the yesterdays of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents including where they came from, when and how. This tells me about me. Both ancestor sets are from the former Russian Empire: One from Lithuania; the other from Ukraine. The earliest records I have are ship manifests from their late nineteenth century immigration journeys to America. I never tried to gather information from before that time knowing that any potential records were likely destroyed during the Second World War.

I always knew that I was fully Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jew. But, when I had my DNA tested a while back, I found the truth – ninety-nine percent Ashkenazi. Hmm, what was the other one percent? No amount of investigation gave me an answer. Was there some mysterious, esoteric lineage? It was fun to think about romantic unknowns. About a year after the first DNA report, I received an ALERT. “Correction,” it said, “you are one hundred percent Ashkenazi!” Poof, that statement dashed my hopes of claiming any exotic heritage.

Over the last sixth months or so, I’ve been getting notices about my personal traits – most are pretty obvious, but which I never thought much about. However, being officially informed about characteristics that I already knew has elevated them in a peculiar way. Now I notice them when I look in the mirror, observe something about my body, or ponder what I would like to have for dinner. I don’t think there is deep significance to my unexciting, obvious features. But, I did discover who I got them from.

The Trait Report lists ninety-three attributes ranging from A (Alcohol Flush) to W (Wisdom Teeth.) I went through the entire list to figure out if there was something that I needed to pay attention to. I don’t know if it was intentional on the part of the list makers, but there were no indicators about my propensity to have certain health issues. No problem. I already know them.

What I have is a bunch of largely insignificant qualities in the scheme of life’s things. Here are three that are totally true.

I have short eyelashes. The only time this was an issue for me was when I was a teenager and wanted to look more alluring by using a curler and some mascara to make my lashes be like those of curly-lashed friends. After a few years of trying to make enhancements, I gave up realizing that the effort I put in to do this would never make an important impact on my being. I inherited this peculiarity from my mother, who, indeed, had very short, practically non-existent eyelashes. If I had known that she gave them to me, would I have blamed her in my teen angst? I don’t think so.

I don’t have mid-finger hair and was a surprised by this information because I never realized that women could have hairy fingers. On investigation, I learned that, although less common in females, it can happen. Thanks mom.

I prefer having savory food even if I hadn’t been told that I was likely to make that choice. Both parents gave me these taste buds.

Here are two traits that DNA testers didn’t get right.

Although my genes from both parents say I have an aversion to cilantro –totally false! I love cilantro. The only think I don’t like about this herb is that I can never use up a bunch before it turns to slime in my refrigerator.

From both parents, I’m likely to have a unibrow. Wrong! I have two separate eyebrows.

Here’s one that falls in the “duh” category. Ancestry.com says I’m not a high jumper. The average height for female jumpers is six feet. I am barely five feet.

Most of what I got from DNA analysis I already knew. Some doesn’t reflect reality. I consider one major Mom-trait that Ancestry picked: Determination! My mom was unconditionally determined. I hope I inherited enough of her so I can brave the chaotic combat against the unprecedented cruelty, injustice, and oppression that’s all around us every day.