Inheriting Kindness

The whole idea of hereditary instincts and skills fascinates me.  When I was a child, my mother was extremely crafty.  She would have me scour the neighborhood for interesting items from nature.  I would come home with a bag full of acorns, pine cones, chestnuts, milk weed, wheat stalk, bean pods, and anything else, other than leaves, that trees shed in the fall.  We'd then find an interesting platter, plate, tray, or other source of containment and she would place a candle in the middle that complimented the items I had found.  We would then, hot glue the various treasures from nature around the candle.  We had to be certain to vary the heights, textures and colors of the items, but the end result was a beautiful centerpiece for the table.  This was just one of the many projects we would complete and I must say, this was my favorite.  When we lit that candle or passed them on as gifts, my spirit was equally illuminated with the shear joy of what we had created.  I am told I have inherited that creative flare and this amazes me.  How something that is mind driven can be inherited.  How does that work???  I understand the concept of inheriting physical talents, but when it comes to the brain and how we process information and our preferences, it astounds me that these types of skills can also be passed down from generation to generation.  Just like dogs that are bred to herd, or retrieve, rescue or guard. This too, baffles me.  How a mind, whether human or animal, processes information is something one can inherit, just like hair or eye color, or the ability to run fast, play an instrument, or be a mathematical genius.  All of these traits are passed on...  Does this also mean, compassion, kindness, and generosity are also transferable, or are these characteristics that are taught?  What determine which attributes pass through DNA, and which attributes require influential instruction? 
I guess it's the skills of the heart that are not inherited and that's a good thing.  This means we are all equally capable of being benevolent.  It comes down to how many of us choose to exercise our spirits for the good of others and that is a pattern that can be adopted by any and all, regardless of skill set or predilections. Live by example and warm the world with kindness.