prompt # 10

What do you know about your genealogy? How do you feel about it?

I don't know much about my genealogy. Sometimes I wish I knew more, other times I don't really care.

My relationship with my family is so complicated that sometimes I question whether I even belong to them. I've pondered the thought of being adopted a million times, a lot of my family says I look like my paternal grandmother, that always makes me feel better. I never met her and I really wish I would have. She sounds like a hell of a woman, strong, independent, caring and tough, no bullshit, I love that. I love when they compare me to her because if I can convince myself that I'm just a little bit like her, then, I'm a strong ass woman too. A lot of that credit does go to my mom though, she's been the strongest person I've known. I admire so many things in her and I probably should tell her about how I feel more often but things are always complicated with mom. Nothing is ever easy, not even compliments.

I wish things could be like the movies and me know my entire lineage, but when people ask me about maybe doing one of those DNA kits my answer is always no. I don't want to do one. Maybe its best to keep the mystery. I've always thought I was an ordinary person. In comparison I suppose I am. I don't come from money, my family (the ones I consider my family) are all pretty average. The bottom line is, in the words of my fave Cardi B, "I'm just a regular, degular, schmegular girl from the Bronx". Even though I was born in DR I always claim the Bronx as my birth place. Not because I want to sound better than anyone or because I'm embarrassed or anything like that, simply because its easier to say "I was born and raised in the Bronx" to people when they ask. Opposed to oversharing with strangers how strange my childhood really was and how even stranger my journey here has been.

Imagine being related to an old president or to a salve owner or maybe Columbus his damn self lol. Kind of cool not gonna lie. But that's not me. My pArents have siblings and I have cousins galore but I won't include them on here ( sorry guys).

As I know it to be this is my family tree;