Heritage, legacy, genetics . . . whatever you call it, or however you choose to look at it . . . is profoundly important to me.  I left out the most obvious word - family - because sometimes in this life, for various reasons, we choose to separate ourselves from the very foundation of who we are.   It may be in our own best interests;  it's most assuredly always in spite of ourselves.  But I've come to understand that sometimes the healthiest thing, sometimes the only thing you can do, is to hold onto the best part of a person, acknowledging and honoring their part in your story, while keeping a distance.  You can love them or hate them, or remain indifferent, but you can't deny them.  Because whether it's in something as benign as the arch of an eyebrow, the gait of a stride, a passion for color, a predilection for Cilantro or whether it's reflected in the very essence of who you are - an ear for music, an inclination for mechanics, or a gift for healing, you can't escape your DNA.  So you might as well make friends with it.