The Hand You're Dealt

     At birth, we are dealt a few cards we cannot change.  Genetics give us the condition of our body and mind, our sex, race, physical appearance, and perhaps our temperament and talents.  Our health throughout our life is, in part, due to genetics.
     Our parents and ancestors, their genetics, life experiences, and economic situations add to our deck.   Our siblings, our upbringing, and early childhood experiences are beyond our control.  Our birth date, the year and the decade, assign us to a particular time in history.  The place we were born, the country, culture, political situation (peace/war, democracy/chaos) the economic situation (prosperity/depression) all are presented to us at birth.   The condition of the physical world, the environment, and the stability or instability of people around the globe add to the hand we are dealt.
     The original deck and our past cannot be changed, but we can build on what we have and adjust and compensate.  As soon as we can make decisions, we can begin to design our own cards.  Things will still happen beyond our control, but as our mind develops, we can be more in charge and decide which cards we want to add to our deck.