
How to Face Your Ancestors' Choices Even When It's Hard
08/02/23 • 24 min
All of your ancestors were perfect, right? Unfortunately, everyone has ancestors who disappoint us with their choices.
In this episode, I talk about four ways we respond when we discover an ancestor made choices that hurt others.
As we learn to be more open to putting our ancestors' choices into the context of their lives we can see them as real people, living with the effects of their environment, the choices of their family members and others around them, as well as their own choices.
An added bonus is that as we learn the skill of being observant of our ancestors, we can also use that skill in our interactions here and now.
Are we connected on Instagram or Facebook yet? Find me @msheathermurphy
All of your ancestors were perfect, right? Unfortunately, everyone has ancestors who disappoint us with their choices.
In this episode, I talk about four ways we respond when we discover an ancestor made choices that hurt others.
As we learn to be more open to putting our ancestors' choices into the context of their lives we can see them as real people, living with the effects of their environment, the choices of their family members and others around them, as well as their own choices.
An added bonus is that as we learn the skill of being observant of our ancestors, we can also use that skill in our interactions here and now.
Are we connected on Instagram or Facebook yet? Find me @msheathermurphy
Previous Episode

Genetic Genealogy Leads to Discoveries and Connections | Stephanie Renée
In Stephanie Renée's story, there's an exploration of identity and belonging that resonates deeply. She began her journey seeking to fill in the gaps left by the early loss of her mother. Her path took an unexpected turn when she discovered her mother was adopted, leading her into the world of genetic genealogy. Despite the hurdles she faced, Stephanie was driven to understand her roots and expand her familial network, bringing her closer to understanding her lineage and establishing a sense of belonging.
Connect with Stephanie on Instagram @TheDNAJourney or check out her website StephanieRenee.com
Want to support her video series, The DNA Journey? You can do that here.
Are we connected on Instagram or Facebook yet? Find me @msheathermurphy
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About Vivien:
Dr. Vivien Sieber worked in biosciences research, education development, learning technology and information literacy at a range of UK universities. She lives in Oxford with her husband and dogs. Since retiring she is learning to make pots and has written Kino and Kinder.
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LinkedIn: Vivien Sieber
Are we connected on Instagram or Facebook yet? Find me @msheathermurphy
Stories in Our Roots - How to Face Your Ancestors' Choices Even When It's Hard
Transcript
How to Face Your Ancestors' Choices Even When Its Hard
Heather Murphy: Hello, and thank you for joining me for today's discussion. Now, the last episode, I talked to Annie Hartnett and we talked about some heavy things about how she was handling the idea that her and ancestors, people that she was related to, thought it was okay to own and mistreat other people.
So today I'd like to talk about the different choices we have when we come up against t
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