Discovering Identity Beyond My Surname: The Unexpected Journey with iGENEA DNA Test
Family name Asbury
Confronted with the unexpected findings of my iGENEA DNA test, I found myself grappling with the complexities of personal identity and heritage. As an Asbury, a name I've long identified with, I unearthed the beauty and diversity of my heritage, reshaping the meaning of my surname and my perception of personal identity.
My experience with the iGENEA DNA test has been transformative. Challenging my understanding of who I am, where my roots lie, and my perception of what a surname signifies, it offered sobering insights into my personal lineage. As an Asbury, my sense of identity has been indelibly tied to my surname, a resilient tether that connected me to my family and generational shared past. It served as both an identity marker and heritage reminder, a comforting certainty I clung onto.
My test journey began with saliva collection, simple enough. The results journey, however, led me down an unexpected path of revelation and curiosity, one littered with fascinating DNA divulgence. My DNA results unravelled a narrative that was more entwined with diverse heritage and less purely Asbury than I had always perceived. The test brought to my consciousness the fascinating interplay of migration, heritage, and identity, offering a dose of the shared human experience and shattering my previously simplified perceptions.
The discovery of distant ties to Northern European lineage was certainly surprising, but it was the correlation between my DNA and this diverse lineage that brought to surface a blend of emotions: surprise, curiosity, disbelief, even a subtle sense of betrayal to my self-identified Asbury roots. More than just a pie chart representing percentages of ethnic background, the DNA results made me rethink the meaning and importance of my surname, Asbury.
Is an Asbury solely a descendant of the Asbury lineage in my immediate past? Or does being an Asbury extend to all the complex generations whose lives and choices, journeys and adaptations all led to my existence? Such profound questions circled my mind, carving out a new perspective around my personal identity and heritage.
Despite the initial shock and the avalanche of questions, this test didn’t diminish the pride and love I hold for the Asbury name. Instead, it underscored the need to shift my perspective from a singular, narrow view of heritage to a broader, more inclusive one. I realized that my surname is not just a heritage-forged crown or a unique identity marker. It is a testament to my personal history's resilient tapestry, woven together by multiple threads from diverse roots. As an Asbury, I am more than a name; I am a testament to a rich, multifaceted history.
N. Asbury