If someone told you that you had inherited a million dollars, what would you say? What would you do? My guess is you'd be leaping in the air with wild thoughts running through your mind of living on Easy Street for the rest of your life.

The things I have inherited, both the good and the not-so-good, have little to do with money. Among my inheritances are the genes given to me by my parents and ancestors. The places where I have lived have left their marks on me, some happy and some sad. Likewise, certain people and events, both sought and unsought, throw additional light on who I am. They all are tied together in a bundle I choose to call my inheritance.

I encourage you to look for inheritance traces throughout this narrative, roughly divided into the following time periods, and also to explore your own inheritance.

1931-1938

1938-1940

1940-1942

1942-1943

1943-1945

1945-1946

1946-1948