Last night, idly perusing my most recent Ancestry.com matches, I ran across a screen name I recognized. I zapped an excited Facebook message, and this morning here’s what M.S. posted:

“Cost of being an Ancestry.com member: $20 a month. Cost of getting your DNA analysis: $100. Finding out that Lisa Henderson, whom you already admire and love like a sister is actually related to you when you were just asking her to help you sort through all the genetic genealogy: PRICELESS!  Wow!”

I’ve known M.S. and his sister A.S. for nearly 30 years — A. and I went to college together — and our friendship has deepened in the last several years. (A.S. has an amazing Tumblr, Hey to Your Mama N’em.) A few years ago, I did some rudimentary genealogical research for them and have encouraged M. and offered advice as his own research has deepened and as he began his foray into DNA testing. The last thing I ever imagined was that we’d share chromosomes! I have no idea what our link is, but neither of us will leave a stone unturned trying to find out!