For some people, one of the trickiest things about DNA surprises is that they force us to see our parents as human. It can be uncomfortable to come to terms with infidelity in a marriage, or that your parent would lie to you.

In this week’s episode, Ann reveals how she uncovered four DNA surprises in her family. As the “found family” member in each surprise, Ann shares why she felt it was important to be open to the new people in her life.

Thank you for sharing your story, Ann.

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What are you? For those of us who are quote “ethnically ambiguous,” this question is one we hear over and over again when meeting new people.

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Stephanie, who fielded questions about her ethnic background her entire childhood. She spent much of her early life trying to connect with others, to fit in somewhere. It wasn’t until much later that a DNA test revealed the truth.

Stephanie reached out to me because she wanted to explore her feelings around her ethnic shift with someone who had been there. We discuss some complicated feelings around feeling the need to “earn” our identity. She shares how she’s connecting to her roots, and why having this information makes the “What are you” question a little easier to navigate.

Thank you for sharing your story, Stephanie.

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Papa was rollin’ stone. It’s a tale as old as time, and a phrase we’ve heard more than once on the podcast. But sometimes, there’s more to the story.

Welcome to the Season 14 premiere of DNA Surprises. In this week’s episode, Patrick shares how taking a 23andme test out of curiosity led him down an unimaginable road - one that made things make sense while simultaneously upending everything he knew.

He shares how he made his discovery, from his initial thoughts to what happened when he finally learned the truth. Patrick also demonstrates a positive, empathetic mindset for everyone involved in his story.

Thank you for sharing your story, Patrick.

Listen to Patrick’s song, “Dark Horse,” here.

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