Nurture vs. Nature

It's an age-old debate. Are we a product of the DNA inherently passed to us or the environment in which we live? The topic has always been of interest to me because I don't fit in either category. I was raised by very traditional, suburban parents who love to hunt, fish, camp and cook. They live on 67 acres in Oklahoma within a one hour drive of where they grew up. I feel most at home in what my dad calls the "concrete jungle." (aka: the "big city"), and have moved more times than I can count. I would rather wear heels than tennis shoes. I shop for fun, and I don't cook. (I mean, I do. I can. I'm not bad at it. It's just not something I do to relax.) I am pretty much the opposite of both the nature I received genetically and the environment I was nurtured in.

Nurture

My friends adopted a little boy a couple of years ago, and he might be the poster child for the Nurture argument. He does not share his father's genes, but they are two peas in a pod. From facial expressions and mannerisms to likes and dislikes, he often acts so similarly to his daddy that people don't know they aren't biologically related. He is a product of the out-pouring of love that defines his life.

Nature
And if Wyatt represents the Nurture camp, Brynna Grace leads the charge of the Nature crew. It began as a joke to call her MiniMe. It was an acknowledgement of the ways that she and I are so similar. She came out barking orders and loving people. She would rather be in "fancy" clothes regardless of how anyone else is dressed. There is nothing "joking" about our likeness. Her strong will, stubbornness and spunk can all be traced with a very clear line right back to my front door. She's so much like me that she teaches me about myself (sometimes more than I cared to know).

So. Nature or Nurture. The question is: does it matter? Judging from two kids who love their mamas and daddies and know they are loved in return, I'd say...not a bit.