I Wish I Knew More About Genetics.....

I recently traveled home for a family reunion, my dad's side of the family in fact. There were family members from all over the country, piles of old photographs, laptops a buzz with family genealogy software and wonderful stories to hear. I love family reunions but this one made me wish I knew just how the details of genetics work. I don't mean how I inherited brown eyes but how a certain "look" is passed down from generation to generation to generation.....

As we pored over old photos I could see the same "look" over and over in the men of one branch of our family. Thick black hair and eyebrows, dark complexion, short but stocky build. (By the way, I also found out at the reunion these babies weren't who I thought they were!)

The dark complexion, and dark eyebrows are still there but as the years go thick snow white hair and bellies have been added. Sorry guys, I had to mention it. You all have em' and I wouldn't want you without them!  

                                       
                                                   

This is my dad (near) and his first cousin who I had never met that day but I could sure tell he was family! He looks just like everyone else.

See? They even have the same mannerisms!

When I was a little girl I loved my Grandpa's white hair. I hope mine is that pretty when I'm an older woman.

This is my brother with my kids. He has the same family look. Give him 40 more years and he'll have that purty white hair too. But I bet his eyebrows will still be the same dark brown!

I just wish I knew how the intricacies of genetics works. How is it that my oldest brother can look so much like my father's side of the family but my other brother looks so much like my mother's family? How can 3 or 4 generations of men walk and talk alike even though they've spent their lives living far apart from one another?  How much do we truly inherit from genes and how much do we learn from our family? Ah, family reunions, I love em' but they sure get me thinking!