Unfortunately, as you might know if you read my Actifit post I wasn't moving particularly well because of a back that was in spasm. Very annoying as it made things like getting out of a chair difficult. Also before I hear any jokes about how old I am, or about how fat I am, I'll say its at least partially hereditary.

Seriously

My Mother has a bad back. My sister has a bad back. My nephew has a bad back. My son also has gets back pain. Sure some of us could stand to lose some weight but my son? Nah, he is very fit but still....bad back.

Genetics are important but so is lineage

Those genes that make us who we are come from our parents and tell us a lot about things to look out for. With a family history of bad back it is really important to take weight, stretching, and proper lifting VERY SERIOUSLY. Then again, there is also an issue in my family of addiction to alcohol and cigarettes. Another thing to look out for. Cancer is in the mix too. It's nice to look at the past and learn from their mistakes!

However, it is more than that. I can trace my ancestry back fairly far in time. My Grandfather was a member of the "Gunn" clan from Scotland. That means I can trace my roots to another country and another line of proud people. It can give me a sense of place in this world and it can make history just a little more interesting.

Indeed, I'm hoping that next spring I can head to Thurso where my family used to live (and Edinburgh where other ancestors came from).

It adds an exciting dimension to the travel.

But what if your adopted?

Now I am well aware that I'm not adopted. Indeed my mother tells me how she was so sick when she had me that she wasn't even allowed to see me for two months after I was born. In addition my father tells mem the story of how the doctors sat down with him and asked him point bank "You have to choose, your wife or the baby. We may not be able to save both". My father chose to save his wife... So I guess I'm lucky to even be alive?

But what if during those two months where I was being raised alone by the nurses in an infant ward I was switched with someone else's baby? Or how about those people who find out later in life that they are adopted? Would it make a difference?

It is really something to think about

And of course as always there isn't an easy answer. I think I'll go with Yes and No. Yes it makes a difference but No, it really doesn't. Which means that I have to do a bit of explaining with such a wishy washy answer.

Why it makes a difference

As I stated earlier. Genetics are important. They tell us important information on things which directly affect our health outlook in the future. For some people I've met on Hive it means sickle cell anemia for their child if they choose the wrong spouse. For others it could mean predisposition to mental illness, heart disease, cancer, or even just a bad back. Getting that information can make a big difference in a persons approach to healthy living. It can alter a person's outlook on whether to take that first drink of alcohol or take a puff of that first cigarette.

In that way, I absolutely would want to know if there are any genetic markers or family history of diseases so I can plot a better course for my life..

But it also wouldn't matter

Mostly though I wouldn't care. My mother was always a rock in my life. It was her love and upbringing in my life that have made me who I am. Her lineage is my lineage whether through blood or not. Her values have been instilled in me not by blood but through time and love.

My father was not around nearly as much as I would like, however, he was and still is a role model to me. His example has taught me to work hard and take chances and look at every possibility. He is ingrained in me through his example and our talks again through time and love. Whether his blood is running in me or not is inconsequential to who I have become.

Of course learning I wasn't truly blood related would be a shock. But my sister has been my sister for, well, a long time...and no reveal now would make a difference. I'll still be who I always was and that wouldn't change. I'm sure my mother would be just as shocked as I was so that would lead to some interesting talks but enough to shake our 55 years together? Never.

_{An image of my sister and myself}

If I've learned anything as a father... Being a Dad is so much more than just making a genetic donation to start a baby. It's about all the hours spend, the smiles, the love, the fights, the memories and everything else that goes into being a family.

How you make the baby isn't really all that important but how you raise it truly is.

Of course your free to disagree with me and I love getting comments.

Thanks for reading.