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Monday 19 December 2011

Inheritance - Nature vs Nurture

I've been thinking about this topic a lot recently. I have a very small family (Mam, Dad, Grandma (maternal) and a (maternal) Aunt) who live close to me. Growing up, I had no one to compare myself to, other than my Grandma and my Mam.

My Grandma is a classic 1940s hourglass. Even now, although she doesn't dress like it, she has a stunning figure, wearing a corset and shapewear every day.

My Mam is more like an apple, holding some over the tummy, and not having that defined a waist, and a rather flat behind. Her legs and arms are her best feature, and when compared with my cankles, I just didn't see how I could have put weight on my ankles. How. Is. That. Possible.


 Now, where did this well rounded behind of mine come from? My Mam and Grandma's is flat, whereas mine protrudes quite a way, and always had, even at my size 16, I had to go for 18 trousers because of this!

So my cankles are unknown, as is my rear, so what else did I inherit from my Dads side of the family. I reckon the Kaupa's and Barraclough's have a lot of explaining to do! On a recent trip to Wales to visit my Dad's side of the family, I discovered my cankles are shared with my Paternal Aunt. Which got me a-thinking.




These certainly came from the Hodgen side of the family, but what about the McDonald? If growing up, I'd had all four sides of the family, I would have seen that Reg loved my Grandma's curves, that Karl loved Nanna's cankles (as it stands I don't know if he did, but you get my point).

Having two strong but different women to build my sense of self around was influential, and important, but I do wonder what would Nanna have taught me if she was still with us, or what would Reg and Karl have thought, added to the mix.

As it stands, I think I have Reg's sense of humour, and who knows have I've inherited from Karl. We don't talk about him much in these parts.

So, what have you inheritted? What do you wonder "where did THAT come from?"?

Much love my lovelies,

K x

2 comments:

  1. I wonder that all the time! In my family, my Mum is apple shaped and stores fat on her stomach, but has no bust. She has 2 sisters, one apple shaped with average bust which I think is more fat that breast, and one sister who is very pear shaped. All of my cousins are either naturally skinny and straight or pear shaped. Then there is me, and I'm unique in my bunch!! GG breasts, apple shaped with a big fat rounded size 16 / 18 tummy and slim size 12 / 14 legs. My Dad's side of the family has all sturdy pear shaped flat chested women, so it leaves the question "Now where did I come from?" And my Mum swears I wasn't adopted or swapped at birth as I never left her side!

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  2. I think at times like this it could be due to mixing of pears and apples.

    Part of what I felt I missed out due to geography (blumming Wales being so far away), and being the only child, so not having anyone else to compare yourself too.

    I now get how I'm different from the Klan (as we call ourselves), but also how I'm rather similar personality wise x

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