From a young age, I always knew that a good portion of my heritage came from Greece. When I got older, I did research with my grandmother and we found that not only were we from Greece, but our family lines were split between somewhere near Athens and somewhere near Sparta (also, I am told, this is why I am moody). But even though I have known this all of my life, I have also known that this isn't where I come from completely. I come from many different parts of the world, and I really consider myself an "American Mutt".

I think it was important for me growing up to have something like knowing that my mother's side of my family came from Greece, rather than knowing that we are just a conglomeration of different countries thrown into one family. Knowing where I came from gave me something to cling to culturally, and it gave me something to identify with. It gave me a reason to research further where I came from, both on my mother's and father's sides, and it gave me a way to connect with my grandmother's relatives - who were all Greek.

Having a glimpse of my background gave me something to want: I want to visit Greece. I want to see all of these places that I read about when researching my past relatives and where they came from. I know that I come from a family of goat herders - I want to see the town and the homes. I want to try the food, speak the language; a fire was ignited within me. I really like seeing the break-down of where we came from. My dad's side of my family has been in the states long enough for us just to say "we're a little bit of this, a little bit of that". My mom's side however, being newer to the states, can tell stories and cook the food, and remember it from their childhood.

I think it is important for children especially to have this kind of connection to their family - something to cling to when they grow up, and something to say 'my family is ___'. It doesn't have to be where you are from, but it could be a tradition, a favorite anything, or just something that reminds them that they belong exactly where they are - with their family. Even more than having something to cling to, I know that as a child this has helped shape me into someone who has a connection with different aspects of my family. When my grandmother says that something reminds her of her childhood, I am anxious to try it. For example, I am currently cooking some food that she says reminds her of her childhood. I am anxious to have that kind of a connection with my family as well as with the past.