You cannot be proud to be…

…Scottish, a woman or gay any more than you can be proud to be blue-eyed, naturally blonde and have long legs. These are random qualities. You cannot be proud of your daughter's PhD, your grandson's portrayal of a sheep in the nativity play or your son's promotion. These are their achievements, not yours. You can only be proud – if that's an emotion to which your susceptible – of things over which you have control – your own achievements, behaviour and, I suppose, possessions.