DNA Never Lies

When I was in high school we did a chapter on Mendelian genetics. Part of the lab project was to go home and chart certain familial traits to see which genes were recessive and which were dominant. And I remember feeling particularly special that the only people in my family who could not roll their tongues were my Grandmother Vespo and me —all my other grandparents, aunts and cousins could. It meant my grandmother and I shared a special connection.

My mother’s ophthalmologist is a top notch guy—brilliant—Harvard trained. And one day he inquired Mrs. Manello--what is your ethnic background? And she said Italian—specifically Sicilian. And he responded But not completely Italian. And with some indignation my mother said Oh yes—I am full Italian on both sides of my family. And the doctor said No you are not. You have a very special type of glaucoma—it is rare--called exfoliative glaucoma. It is seen only in people from Scandinavia—not the Mediterranean.

And now with a lot more indignation my mother voiced What are you implying? And the doctor quipped that someone, perhaps many many many generations back, came from Scandinavia—she was not 100% Italian—because DNA doesn’t lie.

And what I did not say out loud at the time since my mother was so perturbed by this fun family fact was that Sicily, historically had multiple conquerors—among them were the Vikings, by way of the Normans. And the idea that I had Scandinavian blood in me was fascinating—I was not insulted at all. I wondered if that was where the fair skin and blue eyes came from.

And last week my roses were in full bloom. And I was admiring their Lilly Pulitzer hot pink color when I noticed that growing from the base of one of the 16 plants, was a solitary red rose. And I thought Ah-ha some bee either carried some pollen from a red  plant or upon self-pollination, the recessive gene popped through.

In either case, the molecular makeup could not be ignored. A Mendelian punnett square had come to life in my yard.

And my husband and my daughters Kara and Briana can all roll their tongues. Samantha, my oldest, cannot. Sam and I and my Grandmother Vespo all share a special connection ---and DNA never lies.