Living

The longer I live, and it’s been seventy-seven years already, the stronger my personal conviction becomes that a human being’s basic nature does not change much. Nature and nurture play huge roles. Early childhood experience particularly shapes our perspective. Choices make all the difference.


We make choices constantly on any given day, without thinking about the fact that we are choosing. I just chose to cross my legs. It doesn’t matter why. I merely use it as one small example in a multiple-choice day. By God-given choice we pick a course, select direction, stick with or choose to veer from it. Sometimes our choices are extremely limited, seem almost non-existent, yet the truth is that deep down we do choose how to react, how to act, how to follow this newly-charted, unselected path. Character ploddingly grows through adversity, blissfully gambols through the rest.

My parents, an electrical engineer and a public health nurse, provided my genetic code. My early world was populated by caring/sharing siblings. What a fortunate child I was, and still am, and know it. Appreciation fills my days. Not everyone is half so lucky.

If gaps or holes exist in our basic structure, we are threatened. Of course we are scared. Of course we are ill prepared. May we know who we are in order to build on our strengths. A team of psychological and scientific experts are dedicated to assist us. We should all be truly thankful. Honest, unconditional appreciation, the kind that resonates within one’s soul, enables the healing process.

I do hope you have found some word this week that has worked for you.

Editors Note:  Nancy has added this entry to her blog - and wanted to share it with her readers.

As many of you know, my older brother Bruce died last week. The last meaningful visit he and I had via Skype was about this final blog. He was always my wise mentor, and more often than not over the years I ran my writings by him for approval. This blog was no exception. He did have one editorial correction to make. I referred to an electrical engineer and a public health nurse having provided my genetic code. He said: an electrical engineer and a public health nurse did not provide your genetic code. Your parents did. Thus you will read that my parents, an electrical engineer and a public health nurse, provided my genetic code. Otherwise, he approved the blog.


"Living" is dedicated to the memory of Bruce Henderson Buchanan M.D., D.Psych