Day 24. Celebrating Beautiful Differences

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People are beautiful in all their stark honesty.

Some folks think that differences are bad. But all beautiful things in nature are one-of-a-kind. Think of snowflakes and fingerprints. No two are alike.

The past few years have brought a lot of polarized thinking and dissent, particularly on social media.

But are our differences from others real, or imagined?

Perhaps we are all the same in our intrinsic goodness, but different in how that goodness manifests and is expressed.

December brings a season to be grateful for people who are different from you.

If we were all the same, we’d have nothing to learn from each other.

Exercise: Celebrate People Who Are Different from You

America has historically been characterized as a beautiful land of freedom and opportunity. Why? Because it’s the melting pot where people from different origins, backgrounds and cultures meld together in a beautiful comingling.

Think of your favorite city that you love to visit. What’s so good about it? The people, of course. The many colors and flavors of individuals, each adding his or her own special qualities.

Think about this:

Your eyes may be shaped differently from mine, but the twinkle in them when we smile at each other is the same.
We may not understand each other’s language… but words are not needed to know that we are both good people inside.
Your skin may be a different shade than mine, but we both know how to love.

Journal It.

Think of three friends of yours who all come from different ethnic backgrounds. Write down some details about each of those people – things that make them special and memorable to you.

Write about good meals you’ve eaten that come from recipes passed down from their country of origin. Write about aspects of their heritage that you found fascinating. Write about personal qualities of theirs that you appreciate and admire.

Write about things you have in common with your friends from other backgrounds, despite your obvious differences.

Perhaps Christmas, Channukkah, Solstice, and Kwanzaa can be about breaking bread with people from other cultures and customs who not only walk upon the same lands as we do but also share the same dreams.