Curiosity, Curls, and Family Threads

The other evening, I was watching a Tunnel to Towers commercial when Dave Portnoy came on screen. I’ve always thought he was quite handsome, but this time it was the shape of his nose that caught my attention. Something about it made me wonder about his background. Out of curiosity, I looked him up and discovered that he is Jewish.

That little search reminded me how often we notice small details about people — sometimes their voices, sometimes their smiles, and sometimes, like this moment, a feature as simple as the shape of a nose. For me, it wasn’t judgment at all, only curiosity and admiration. And it opened up a deeper reflection on how human traits — whether a nose, a curl, or a dimple — carry little whispers of heritage, passed through generations.

From Portnoy to My Own Family Curls

That thought quickly turned me inward, toward something I see every morning in my own mirror: curls.

I have unruly curly hair that I’ve wrestled with my entire life. My grandmother, whom I lovingly called Honey, had the same curly hair. My mother, though, had more gentle waves, and my daughter was blessed with smooth, loose waves of her own. For a while, I thought the family curl might have faded into history. But then my granddaughter arrived — and with her came the return of those spirited curls.

To our knowledge, none of her curls come from her dad’s side, and none from my children’s father’s side. They are straight from me and from my Honey. When I received my Ancestry DNA results, I even laughed when I saw “likely curly hair” listed among my traits. How, I wondered, could they possibly know that from a vial of saliva?

The answer is fascinating.

How DNA “Knows” About Curls

• Genetic Markers: DNA testing companies look at markers in your genes, little variations that tend to show up in people with certain traits.

• Hair Texture Genes: One of the biggest is called TCHH, which affects how hair grows and coils. Other genes also play smaller roles.

• Probability, Not Certainty: These companies compare your markers to thousands of others in their database. If most people with your pattern have curly hair, they’ll predict you probably do too.

  
  

And that’s exactly what happened for me.

The Beauty of Traits Across Generations

Curly hair, like eye color or freckles, doesn’t always appear in every generation. Sometimes it lies quietly in the background until the right combination comes together. And when it does, it feels like a family story retold — a visible reminder of the ones who came before.

For me, seeing my granddaughter’s curls feels like my Honey smiling back through her. A legacy carried not in heirlooms or old photographs, but in spirals of hair that catch the light.

Honey Note 🐝

It’s lovely to notice patterns in the world, as long as we hold them gently and with curiosity instead of judgment. Whether it’s the shape of a handsome nose, the tilt of a smile, or the curl of a strand of hair — these little details remind us how beautifully human we all are.

With curls that carry love through generations,

— Honey 🐝