Our children and grandchildren are shaped by the genes they inherit from us, but new research is revealing that experiences of hardship or violence can leave their mark too.
Welcome to this space, my little universe from where I reach out to connect with you .
I am reading ‘Just Saying’ Malorie Blackman’s memoir.
It brought back memories of when I started to write ‘The Mother of Honey’ in 2015. Malorie thought it was going to be easy writing about her life, but in the book, she shares how wrong she was and how this memoir was the hardest thing she’d ever written. Unlocking painful events from so long ago was incredibly difficult for her.
I couldn’t agree more. It was the same for me. But fast forward to 2024, and ‘The Mother of Honey has spread her wings to touch many hearts. It has been heart-warming for me to read the contents of such detailed and inspiring reviews.
When I heard that a book club was formed by a group of readers to delve into the insights of the book and explore ancestral trauma, I felt my mother whispering to me from beyond;-
‘I told you that until you take your last breath on Earth, you never give up.’
I was invited to join the book club, to share insights from the book, and to open the floor to talk about ancestral trauma. It was a healing experience for us all. After only two sessions, readers reported back to share how they had reconciled with siblings and family members. They were able to share painful memories and renew broken bonds at a deeper relational level.
There are many studies, too many to list here, that explore the fact that the trauma experienced by our parents, grandparents and ancestors down the line are stored in our DNA and genetically inherited by their offspring.
One doesn’t have to reflect too deeply to know the stories of their own parents and grandparents; how they survived wars, famines, social depravation, slavery, imprisonment and how they lived through scarcity and even abuse. But let's not forget our survivors resiliency, will to survive, creativity and strength. Without these wonderful qualities, you and I would not be here. I know it sounds a bit scary, trust me it scares me too. But this awareness is powerful because it brings understanding and from understanding comes forgiveness.
Forgiveness liberates the one who forgives at so many levels. It frees us from negative thought patterns, it teaches us to accept our own flawed humanness. It dissolves resentment that permeates the cells of our bodies causing hidden stresses and unexplainable physical ailments.
So, let’s say a little prayer to ourselves, our parents, grandparents and all the others that came before us.
I really enjoyed this post. I am sure understanding about our ancestors is a way in which we can understand ourselves. I have such a mixed genealogy, with grandparents that emigrated to Brazil from Italy on my father’s side and Portuguese mixed with the indigenous tribes of the South of Brazil on my mother’s side. I wish I had talked more to my mother about her ancestry, sadly she died young and I missed out on the opportunity. I loved reading your book and will now also follow your blog. Keep writing 😀
“There are many studies, too many to list here, that explore the fact that the trauma experienced by our parents, grandparents and ancestors down the line are stored in our DNA and genetically inherited by their offspring.”
If that is true, that is really bad news. As if we don’t have enough with the traumatic experiences, we experience in our own lives to also have to inherit these through our DNA. 🙁