When we have grown up in a particular culture, it is interesting to meet people who have grown up in other cultures.
Our shared interests through classes, community events, or children’s activities is what brings us into contact with each other.
As we get to know each other bit by bit, we discover things we have in common.
We also appreciate and acknowledge the differences in background and outlook knowing where they come from.
We are able to build a realtionship on a foundation of shared interests and ideals.
Elements which are part of a private life or part of a different community are not a threat.
We attend to our own private lives and our involvement in other aspects of community.
Our shared interests are all that concern us in our beginning connections with people from other backgrounds and other viewpoints.
Our greatest shared interest is that we are all free to live our own lives in expression of our highest ideals.
It is vital to realize that we are not involved with imposing those ideals on others.
We are attracted to ideals which serve our character.
Others are attracted to ideals which serve their character.
We share that commonality, character.
How that is expressed is up to individuals.
It does not involve coercion nor conversion.
It involves respect.
We can live our best life secure in the fact that it meets our needs.
We can allow others to to live their best life secure in the fact that it meets their needs.
We can share the highest values of our life through respectful conversation and interaction.
We can share our delight, our appreciation, our celebration.
We can do this without intrusion on the lives and celebrations of others.
When we respect the origins of other cultures, we can become enriched thorugh our interaction with people who practice other traditions.
Our appreciation leads to harmonious and respectful community interaction.
Our beginning connections can grow into an overflow of respect and communication and can create an uplifting attitude throughout our community.
© 2019 Kathryn Hardage
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