DNA roots change nothing

Re A DNA test revealed a mystery: Who was she?, Aug. 7

I admire Alice Plebuch’s persistence in finding her roots. However, I was perplexed as to why she would suddenly think she had lost her identity when finding out that her roots were different than what she had always believed.

We put way too much emphasis on our roots. We are all Earthlings with common origins that date back millions of years. Today, we come in many different packages. The fact that one is of Irish roots or Indigenous roots changes nothing as to what you are.

I would prefer to have my identity defined by what I contribute to those around me and by the kind of person I am. If you look at the obituaries, you rarely see the deceased identified as being of certain roots. Rather they are identified by how they have lived their lives as an individual: mother/father, wife/ husband, daughter/son, friend, etc. Their generosity and their accomplishments are what the survivors wish to acknowledge.

I happen to have an Irish father and a mother of Hispanic, French and German descent. I could not care less. More important is how I live my life. I hope that someday my obituary will read that I was a devoted daughter, mother and grandmother, a good wife, a good sister, an artist and a lifetime learner but, above all, that I was a caring individual. Diane Randall, Markham