Trigger/content warning: In this post, Iāll be discussing my experience with the end of biological family lines and adoption. This may make some people uncomfortable, so if this topic makes you uncomfortable, please feel free to skip over my post.
For my challenge entry this week, I didnāt do anything too hands-on like I normally like to do. For this weekās challenge, I did a lot of contemplation about my recent draw toward really diving in to ancestor work.
I frequently have dreams about my late maternal grandparents. My mom was adopted, and her adoptive parents didnāt have any biological children of their own. I have been feeling the urge to begin providing them offerings and honoring them on a regular basis, but until a few days ago, I couldnāt figure out why I suddenly had that urge so strongly.
Upon reflection, I came to the conclusion that they reach out to me in my dreams because, although Iām not their biological grandchild, preserving their memory is partially up to me. They both had siblings, so they still have biological family members carrying on their siblingsā lines.
I feel like Iām in a similar position to my maternal grandparents: Being an only child and gay, Iām not sure Iāll be having any biological children of my own (at least not through āātraditionalā methodsā for lack of better words), so Iāll likely be the end of my parentsā biological line.
This is something Iāve always struggled with. Iāve always felt enormous pressure with being the likely end of a family line. I know biological family isnāt everything, but I canāt help but feel guilty to be (essentially purposely) ending that particular line since Iāll likely be choosing not to have biological children of my own. I do plan on adopting someday; I would love to be able to help give a home to child(ren) who wouldnāt otherwise have a stable, loving home life.
All this is to say that Iāve reached the conclusion that, although my maternal grandparentsā biological line is coming to an end, I can be part of continuing their non-biological family line by preserving their memory and honoring them.
When I contemplated how I can honor them and carry on their memory, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to create an ancestor altar and begin honoring them by providing them earthly offerings as well as communing with them.
I donāt want to go into much detail because I feel itās a very personal, private topic. However, I will say that part of my method of honoring my maternal grandma will be to cook her recipes. She was such an amazing cook, and almost all of my memories involving her revolve around the food she cooked.
In the next few days (hopefully today!), I plan on making some spritz cookies like I previously talked about in a previous post using her measuring cups/spoons and her ācookyā press. (āCookieā used to be spelled ācookyā in English before ācookieā became the standard spelling through usage. 
) When I get my ancestor altar set up, Iāll use some of those cookies as an offering to my maternal grandma.