#391: Hereditary
Thinkin’ about bodies today, as you do, and how it’s super weird that so much of Momo’s life is already laid out ahead of her. Like, she’s probably gonna need glasses and braces, and watch out for her mental health, and she’s always have something to say when the doctor’s like ‘so do you have a family history of…?’ because genetics is… really a whole thing, huh?
It’s just really sobering to think of all the things you do for them, how you can do everything in your power to help them grow up into good people, and at some point far beyond your control, there’s a little ledger that’s like: well, this kid has her mom’s astigmatism, and this kid has his dad’s predisposition to diabetes, and that kid has a gene for breast cancer.
And, like, you can get used to anything. Clearly, my life is none the worse for needing to wear glasses, for example. But anticipating Momo starting to develop and/or struggle with things that I’ve had twenty, thirty years to adapt to… I’m not looking forward to explaining that some things just… happen to bodies.
It’s the gift* of life!
*some conditions apply