8 • JULY 2017 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. Same Parents, Different Kids Upbeat in San Louis Obisbo, CA! Healdsburg, CA.


by Gabriel A. Fraire ~ gafraire@comcast.net ~


Although I never gave it much thought, I suppose before my children were born I was a behaviorist. By that I mean that I believed that one’s environ- ment was the major influence on one’s person- al development. But after


watching my daughters being born my mind changed. Two daughters, same parents, same pre-natal care and they just popped out dif- ferently. One popped out like a little ninja, all muscles, in- tense, appeared ready to take on the world. The other one


just druped out and lay there. And pretty much the rest of their lives they behaved differently. One was more re- served the other more out-going. One had few friends the other lots of friends. One didn’t even want us to come watch her play youth sports. The oth- er wanted me to coach the team. I found it fasci- nating.


I shouldn’t have been sur-


prised by these develop- ments. I am the oldest child in a family with six children. We are similar in appearance and attitude and when we are


together there is little doubt we are siblings but we are all still quite different. And, that is what makes life great, that we humans are all different. We should appreciate and even celebrate the differences between us.


My mother used to tell people that one of the great- est pleasures about having a large family is that each child brings you something differ- ent. Each one loves you in their own special way. It is so true.


Gabriel A. Fraire has been a writer more than 45 years. He has written fiction and non-fiction books, plays, po- ems, music lyrics, and news articles. But, he writes about his


children exclusively the Upbeat Times. for


Hi Mr. Paul at Upbeat Times! We are celebrating Natalie Su- zanne Sada (tallest beauty) who graduated San Louis Obispo High and is going to Stanford! The whole community celebrat- ed Natalie’s achievement, and we enjoyed getting a photo with the Upbeat Times! Also included from left to right, Velda from Bakersfield, Erica, Santa Rosa, and Olga, San Louis Obispo. ~ Photo taken by Andra Sandberg, Erica’s sister.


“To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.”


Pearl S. Buck


Tammie Maudlin of Santa Rosa on top of Half Dome, Yosemite mid-June 2017. You did it!!


8 • JULY 2017 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. “Beauty is the purest feeling of the soul. Beauty arises when soul is satisfied.” ~ Amit Ray


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