So, the other day I was talking with my sister, and she suddenly announced she wants to do one of those DNA testing kits — you know, the kind that can tell you everything from where your ancestors came from to whether your cat is truly part Maine Coon. I’m kidding… kind of. You should see how many kits Walmart sells. Two full pages of them. It’s a whole new world out there.

Anyway, my sister wants to go all-in: the DNA test and one of those ancestry groups where you compare matches and see who you’re related to. Which got me thinking… does anyone actually find the person they’re looking for?

I mean, it only works if the other person also takes a test, right? It’s like playing hide-and-seek where both players have to agree to be found.

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My Experience With DNA Tests

Years ago, I tried 23andMe — don’t ask me why I deleted it later, my memory escaped out the back door — but my son used it more recently. He’s been searching for his biological father, and the company emailed asking if I would take a test to confirm our match.

Of course, we matched (thank goodness, at least that wasn’t a surprise), but finding anyone else… well, they have to test too. No test, no match. Simple as that.

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Our Family Mystery

Here’s where things get interesting.

About six years ago, our dad — who’s now 83 — casually told us we have a younger sister. Yes, you read that right. A young sister neither of us ever knew. The women name he couldn’t remember very well, and either can I, but my sister Holly has it written down. She would have been born between 1972 -1981 so she would have been between my two younger sister age, but honestly, Dad was pretty vague. We questioned him for days, but the details were about as clear as Michigan fog in November.

All he finally admitted was this:

• He had an affair with the same woman three times
• She was married
• She became pregnant
• The baby — our possible sister — was given up for adoption
• And it happened in either Pennsylvania or Indiana

So somewhere out there might be a woman who shares our DNA. And I can’t help but wonder if she’s looking for us, too.

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Why People Love DNA Testing

Sometimes I think the human race is either brilliant… or completely nuts. These companies convince us to spend money to find out things like whether we’re really the aunt or uncle — and we do it!

And I get it. I’m proud of being Ukrainian, German, and Slovak. I love knowing where my people came from. But at the end of the day, does it really change who we are?

We’re all blending together anyway — race, ethnicity, color. In a few generations, our great grandkids will probably be one beautiful mix of everything. They’ll look at their DNA results and see a rainbow of roots.

Funny how that works. And here I am, sounding like I’m getting religious… which I’m not. But there’s something poetic about it.

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My Old Ancestry Days

About ten years ago, I had an Ancestry.com membership. I found tons of relatives and even added a bunch myself — because once I start digging, forget it. It’s like my own version of a treasure hunt.

But the memberships aren’t cheap. $99 every three months? For something I realistically only use maybe once a month? One day, when I finally slow down, maybe I’ll pick it back up as a hobby. For now, it’s on the “later” list.

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So… Will We Find Our Sister?

Who knows. Maybe she’s out there searching. Maybe she has no idea. Maybe one day she’ll spit in a tube, send it off, and suddenly we’ll get a match that changes everything.

And honestly — wouldn’t that be something?

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💬 Your Turn — Have YOU Ever Tried a DNA Test?

Now I’m curious — and you know I love a good story.

Have you ever done one of these DNA kits?
Did you like it? Hate it?
Did it tell you something helpful… or something you wish you could un-know?

Maybe you even uncovered a family secret of your own (don’t worry, you don’t have to spill every bean — just the ones you want to share).

Here’s what I’d love to know:

• Did the results match what you expected?
• Did you find a relative you weren’t looking for?
• Or were you hoping to find someone… and didn’t?
• Did the process surprise you in a good way (or a “holy cow, what IS this?” kind of way)?

Share your experience in the comments.
Your story might help someone else who’s searching too.