By Deb Coderre
September 19, 2025
If we go back in time far enough, I feel sure that we could find some kindred spirits in our familial lines. They may have lived in different countries and on different continents in years past. There may be one who looked like us and another that shared our habits and our quirks, whether they be for the good or bad. One soul long gone may have once felt our very own desires and dreams and lived to see them through in magnificent ways. Another soul may have lost their hopeful heart and gave up on those dreams. Somewhere along the line they met, and we might say joined forces… time and time again. Our ancestor’s stories of hopes, dreams and aspirations are mixed in with the sadness, longing and desperation. We didn’t ask for any of it, but it is nonetheless firmly implanted in our DNA.
The world these days seems determined to go to hell in a handbag. I’m not sure where this saying even got started, but in my mind when I hear this, I can picture a handbag swinging its way to doom, and we are all in it. Yes, it seems the earth is a crazy place lately, and it feels sometimes that it has become overwrought with hatred and greed. But if we reflect a moment on history, we can understand that these elements have always occupied a pretty significant place on our earth. Sometimes the dark looms larger than other times, but always present. I can’t help but think back to the DNA that occupies every square inch of our very being. The complexity of molecules that make humans so destructive also makes us compassionate and understanding. These cells swirl about inside us in a sort of everlasting battle. It is good vs evil on a microscopic level that ultimately comes to play out on the bigger battlefield.
Wars are fought by the evil, and the good are left to rebuild. It is unfair that we have been doing this for eons with no near end in sight. Our world has endured many cataclysmic events and unspeakable atrocities too numerous to describe. And yet, by a miracle of sorts, humans have managed to survive the centuries. We picked up the pieces and got back to the work of rebuilding. In many cases we have thrived. Most Americans today have not lived through the hardships our forebears faced. We fear that we might, but we hope that we never will. Our heads hurt and our hearts are heavy, and yes, our DNA may be a little tired these days from bearing the weight of such a pile of soul crushing garbage that is delivered to us every day. Still, I have to believe that the good forces outweigh the destructive ones or how else would humanity have survived for so long?
We have been gifted by our creator with a biological wonder that resides deep inside our cells. It is a force that remembers the past even when we do not. It wants the following generations to continue to live out our legacy in an honorable way, but it must be nurtured by our current generation in order to do so. It wants us to plant a garden and feel the earth between our fingers and our toes so we will fall in love with creating the food that will sustain us. It wants us to bask in the last rays of light as the sun goes down on the day and rejoice in the healing power it brings to our bodies and souls. It wants us to remember how to cook with simple ingredients and share our food with loved ones. It wants us to read words that energize the spirit and that nourish the mind. It calls on us to put down the tech device and instead pick up a pen and paper, a needle and thread, hammer and nails, or some flour and yeast in order to create something tangible that can make our spirits feel more positive and hopeful.
Our DNA is asking us to be more in touch with the life that we have been gifted with. We have been bestowed with a wonderful capacity for love, compassion, and acceptance. It wants us to spread that positive energy in the ways that we know best. It is its best hope for survival … and ours.
