Day 984

Gus is just about the sweetest boy around! He is calm, obedient, connected, loving and every other good thing that can be poured into a Golden. When we brought him home, we had no idea what his genetics would produce. Never having heard of a Field Golden, we patiently waited for his head to broaden, his fur to grow long and for him to find his Golden bark… that never happened. We accepted his streamlined body, his short hair and his bark…well maybe more of a baying…we couldn’t love him more!

Heritage is an amazing thing! From our parents, grandparents and beyond, we come to life with some strong genetics already evident. Nurture can play a huge part, but the nature is strong.

For me, the German/Swedish/English inheritance of genes helps make me the person I am today. If ingredients were going into a recipe for me it might look like…

A heaping cup of perseverance

3/4 cup stoic

Dash of strength

Heaping Tablespoon of resolute

1/2 cup of acceptance for the Northern climate

Dash of calm

Smidge of stubbornness

However, my nurturing family added to that recipe and bestowed upon me an awareness of kindness, empathy and determination to make the world a better place. Given any situation, we can lean on either nature or nurture to make decisions and move forward in life. Balancing all of the ingredients, so the recipe turns out right, is the challenge. When stubbornness rears its ugly head, perhaps empathy makes an appearance to help the “cake” from falling flat.

For Gus, other than his “hound dog” bray, he is just about perfect! Even Betty Crocker would approve of his recipe!