My favorite gifts have never been material things. I love trying new experiences and I love finding things out about myself that I have never known. Growing up I have always been very interested in where I come from and the background I have. I have grown up in a multiracial family and when I was little, I did not know too much about either of the sides of my heritage.
My dad was born and raised in Ghana and my mom comes from French Canadian heritage. One year I was extra curious about my genetic makeup, and I asked my parents for the 23 and me kit. I remember being so excited while ripping open the wrapping paper to see a little box that would soon hold my saliva. My parents also got my little sister a kit and as soon as we finished opening all the presents, we ran to the kitchen to conduct our spit sample. I put the box back in the mailbox and waited patiently for the next few weeks.
Two weeks later I got an email from 23 and me telling me that my results were ready. I have never opened an email so fast in my life. The results were so exciting. It said that 49.6% of my genes were European and 49.4% of my genes were west African. My family and I talked about this for days. My parents were also very shocked at some of the result.
For instance, my dad had no idea that some of his ancestors were from Nigeria and my mom had no idea that the French part of her ancestry was so small. I remember my dad called his family back in Ghana instantly to share the exciting news with them.
To this day the gift that I received 4 years ago is still giving. As technology advances they update all the findings, and I am able to find out a little bit more about why I am the way I am. All in all, I would 100% recommend this gift for anybody. It is absolutely something that people will never forget.
Good luck with finals and I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the holiday season!
Xoxo, Kathleen