"A man's a man, for a' that." So said one of my supposed ancestors, Robert Burns. But my great-grandmother Moore, who made much of that relatively doubtful connection, was in fact a direct descendant of nobility and royalty of Wales, Cornwall, England, and Ireland, going all the way back to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland. I'm pretty sure that my great-grandmother never knew about any of this. Neither did I, until eight or ten years ago. Why should she know? Why should I? "A man's a man, for a' that."
Now, of course, we have DNA results, and I know for the first time that I am part Finnish, which I like. Some of that Finnish may actually be Sámi, which I also like, because it is reminiscent of Native American. In fact, I get a warm feeling when I listen to Sámi singing, for the same reason. But "a man's a man, for a' that." Does it really matter?
There is another genealogy, which is the genealogy of the soul. It cares not a whit about DNA, but traces one's spiritual influences. I have many, and I cherish them all.
As usual I thank you, loyal readers, for your loyalty and continued interest. I wish all of you a happy holiday season.
Note on the illustration: I shot this selfie two years ago, and have never before posted it. Even now, I haven't really chosen it. Its number (2653) was given to me last night in a dream. This is the way I operate, much of the time.
Text and image Copyright © 2021 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.
