3000 Ancestors

Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

Any random tidbit of inspiration might spark curiosity, like the meme I saw captioned: walk like you have 3000 ancestors behind you.

It helps to look at the world with a perpetual sense of awe and wonder. When I started to dig into the ancestor question, that awareness of the magic of life blossomed.

Genetically speaking, we have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents and so on. The momentum of our lineage builds exponentially in the blink of an eye.

How many generations back do you think you have to go to gather up 3000 ancestors? Going back about 250 years is 10 generations which amounts to 2046 people. Going back about 275 years is 11 generations which amounts to 4094 people.

To find 3000 of your antecedents, that lands you somewhere in the 1700s.

Reach back, in your mind’s eye, to ancient times, or prehistoric times. People were alive then who carried the genetic code that would eventually show up in your DNA. Try to imagine how many ancestors it took to culminate in your existence. The answer is millions.

When I think about the mind-boggling quantity of people it took to result in my birth, I can’t help but get curious about those ancestors - what their lives were like, and what they’d think of me and my life. I have an urge to make them proud. It doesn’t feel like pressure, but freedom.

Years ago, the search for my mom’s biological family ignited my interest in genealogy. I became the self-appointed family record-keeper, dredging up more data than anyone would ever care to know.

I had a yearning to dig deeper than just names, births, marriages, and deaths. Tragedies, triumphs, humourous anecdotes, brushes with the law, and personal quirks - these are the things I most wanted to find out.

Sometimes I look at the family tree I recreated, and zero in on one life, any one of them. I think about the struggles they faced, the heartaches they endured, and what success in their lifetime would have looked like. This was a unique individual, who had hopes and dreams, who experienced trauma and physical suffering. Perhaps this person died young, or lived to an unusually old age. Such a varied set of circumstances for each particular life, yet they all had one thing in common - they passed their genes on to little ol’ me.

No doubt, scads of my antecedents experienced oppression in their lives. At least 50% of them would have by dint of being born female, and I’m sure many more besides, particularly the poor immigrants.

I know how privileged I am. Despite the atrocities of this era, as a woman living in Canada, I enjoy more rights and freedoms than most of my ancestors ever did. That’s not something I take lightly. I can use that freedom to build exactly the life I want for myself. Most people who came before me didn’t enjoy that luxury.

Thinking about the past can colour our present. What does it mean to walk like you have 3000 ancestors behind you? Would you tackle life with more confidence? Would you take more risks? Would you want to make them proud? Would you meet each day with gratitude and presence?

While it’s interesting to delve into the fabled past from time to time, my focus lies in the here and now. I also cast an eye to the future, not just for me, but for my descendants. For my children, and future generations, I will do what’s in my power to protect their freedom to live the life they want.

Maybe you were adopted, or you are here thanks to a successful fertility treatment. Maybe you’ve lived with the knowledge that you were abandoned, or you were dubbed an “accident” (there are no accidents), or you were a much longed-for addition to the family. Whatever story you’ve been told, the narrative of the universe unfolds in its own perfect way.

With the strength of 3000 ancestors - with their collective wisdom and resilience in back of you - you have the courage to not only walk into your future, but to mold it to your vision, and bring it to fruition.

Let the story of your lineage shape your reality - the joy, the tragedy, all of it. Stand in amazement that 3000 ancestors and more had the wherewithal and fortitude to propel you into this present moment.

The universe doesn’t make mistakes. Even if you don’t know why you’re here, you’re still here for a reason, and your purpose will be fulfilled. Trust in that.

Know that your descendants will keep moving forward, carrying a little piece of you, to slay their own dragons. Let it inspire you to know that you will be one of their 3000.

If this work enriched your life even a smidge, would you considering giving a modest tip?