DR. WALLACE: Why don't I have anything in common with my sister? It's almost as if we came from two different sets of parents. We don't look that much alike, and we don't think or act at all like each other.

In fact, my sister doesn't seem to act much like either one of my parents. Why is this? I'm the older sister, so I know for sure she was not adopted, as I very much remember my mother's pregnancy and my parents bringing my little sister home from the hospital as a baby.

Is it possible that the hospital accidentally switched the babies before my sister came home with us? Does this mean that my real sister is now living with another family? — Not So Sure About My Current Sister, via email

NOT SO SURE ABOUT MY CURRENT SISTER: I highly doubt the girl you know as your sister came from another set of parents! The odds of this would be infinitesimally small, so much so that you can put it out of your mind right now.

Each one of us is a very unique human being, no matter who our parents are. The only exception to this rule would be identical twins, but single-birth children are indeed wonderfully unique beings.

Many of our physical and personality traits come from our genes and chromosomes. Further up your family tree, your grandparents, your great grandparents and your great-great grandparents all had an opportunity to perhaps have their genes and chromosomes factor into your little sister's DNA as "dominant" rather than "recessive" genes.

This is how some family members don't appear at a glance to fit together or to be related, when in fact they are most definitely from the very same family tree. Cherish your little sister and be the best big sister you can for her!

HELP! I'M A FUSSY EATER

DR. WALLACE: What do you do when you go to someone's house for dinner, and you don't like what they have to eat? It's so embarrassing!

I happen to be a very fussy eater and there are many peculiarities as to which foods I will and won't eat. For example, I can't stand mayonnaise on anything! I'm not good with cream sauces and I like all of my meat cooked well-done. At least I'm not a vegetarian, but I am pretty fussy and particular about what I can comfortably eat.

Is it allowed to tell one of my friend's parents that I can't eat some of the dishes they serve at dinner? — Embarrassed by My Eating Habits, via email

EMBARRASSED BY MY EATING HABITS: Years ago, this was a bigger problem than it is today! In days gone by, it was considered impolite not to sample a little bit of each food that was prepared at a social dinner.

Nowadays, however, we are much more informed about health, nutrition, allergies and so forth. It is therefore much more socially acceptable to politely decline to eat certain dishes when at a group function or group meal with friends or even strangers.

Whenever possible, you can mention your preferences to your friends in advance so that a small portion of a few dishes might be adjusted specifically for you. An example of this might be broccoli prepared with a hollandaise sauce, but if the cook knew in advance you couldn't handle hollandaise, a small amount of broccoli could still be made available to you without being smothered in the sauce! Communicate in advance whenever feasible, and be as polite and forthright as you can the rest of the time while eating only the items you're comfortable with. These days nearly everyone understands and respects personal dietary choices and decisions.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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