I was conceived by the mixing of chromosomes from two people who lived in the same small town, went to the same church, attended the same high school, and dutifully accepted marriage, manual labor, and child-rearing as their calling in life.

I did not choose my mother and father.

My mother and father did not choose ME.

I did not choose to be born at all.

Yet here I am…

… because two people decided to MAKE a BABY.

They did not choose what kind of baby.

Neither they nor I chose the COLOR of my HAIR, the TONE of my SKIN, or the SHAPE of my NOSE.

Neither they nor I chose my SEX or GENDER.

Neither they nor I chose whether or not my LIMBS and ORGANS were in good working order.

Neither they nor I chose my PREDISPOSITIONS, for better or worse.

Neither they nor I commanded my EYES to SEE… or my HEART to BEAT.

Next Meditation: Infancy