LibraryScenariosWhether chosen family members become ancestors
Scenario

Whether chosen family members become ancestors

My stepfather raised me but he's not blood family and now that he's dead I don't know if he counts as an ancestor or if my biological father I never knew is more important somehow.

Rabia
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More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Love-based rather than blood-based relationships complicate traditional understandings of ancestral lineage.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Ancestor veneration across traditions?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.