DEAR ABBY: My nephew "Dave" recently took a DNA test and discovered that my brother and I have a different father than our other two siblings.
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I have lived my entire life with the understanding that my family is my family. Now Dave, who has an obsession with genealogy, has my brother and me listed as "half-siblings." I am not a half-anything, and while DNA could be used to prove my father is not my father, I have no intention of testing my own DNA or contesting my parentage.
Maybe I'm out of line, but I want the "half" designation removed from our family profile. I'm hoping you can give me a reality check. Am I blowing this out of proportion, or do you think it would be appropriate to ask him to remove the designation? -- WHOLE, NOT HALF IN INDIANA
DEAR WHOLE: I understand why you are upset. However, you seem to have interpreted this as a personal insult or a value judgment on Dave's part. It isn't. This has nothing to do with the way you and your brother were raised; of course your family is your family. But genetically, you and your brother are different from the other two siblings, which is why I don't think it would be appropriate to ask your nephew to remove the designation.