Last nights episode of Who do you think you are…

I just watched last nights episode that showcased Rosie O’Donnell’s search of her mother’s side of the family.  When I first heard she was doing the show I was horrified because of her prior statement about what she told her kids about why they are adopted. 

Watching the show I could see her emotions and throughout the episode I kept hoping the penny would drop and she would become an advocate for changing the laws for adult adoptees…sadly..it is all about her…

She traced back to her maternal family back to great-great grandparents in an Ireland work house…

And she ended with I can’t wait to tell my kids what I found…

Now they may think it is great.  They may enjoy her ancestry.  They will ‘get’ that is part of who she is and where she came from…it may be great for all time…and at the same time, consider what they will think if when they get to her age (48) (or any age for that matter) and want to know where ‘they’ come from, what makes them, ‘them’.  All the while knowing their mom went on a journey to discover where ‘she’ came from that made ‘her’ who ‘she’ is…and find out she has done nothing to help ‘them‘ and perhaps even hindered ‘them’ to have the ‘same’ right she has, and used that right on national tv…to discover who ‘she’ is…sad she cannot see exactly what that may do to them.  Kind of like pouring salt on a wound if you ask me. 

I would not want to be in her shoes if that day ever comes…

We all deserve to know where we came from.  Who we are…What paths our ancestors followed, what challenges they faced, what tragedies they bore, what made them who they were and contributed to who we are today…I want to know all 4 of my family trees in-depth as far back as I can, with as much detail as I can find…they are all important…every single one of them…