If anyone wonders if there is beauty in differences, just look around the next time you’re taking a stroll outside. We all know no two snowflakes are the same, but also no two trees or blades of grass or flowers or sunsets are the same (just to get the list started)…
It isn’t until humans start modifying nature that the differences start to fade. Naturally, differences are beautiful and meant to be, so why do humans feel the need to modify them? The differences still stand out in the end. Sure, those perfectly manicured bushes look the same on the outside, but when the last of the leaves fall, those beautiful differences shine through!
Although it’s sometimes hard to remember, there has been forward movement in this country towards differences being more accepted than discriminated against. (Right?) Sadly, though, the movement is certainly not enough, and many of the jumps forward have been faced with several backward steps.
I cannot tell you how thankful I am just to know that my teenage daughter is growing up in a world where differences in people are the norm and not even thought twice about.
I remember looking for preschools where she would be surrounded by all different types of kids. Strangely, though, I found the most diverse program for her in the smallest town we’ve lived in, but it was a college town that drew students and professors from many different countries. I was so sad to take her back to the city where we were from that is more segregated than one would first think, and I couldn’t afford to get her into the diverse schools.
Now her friends come from several different ethnic, sexual gender, and economic groups, and her school is focusing on cultural awareness for everyone. This was very much not the same when I was in high school.
When working with teenagers, it’s often hard to get the idea across that it’s beautiful to be different. It’s sometimes easier or less scary to just blend in with the crowd. It takes strength to be different. But isn’t that part of the beauty? No matter how much one may want to fade into the woodwork, being able to be oneself–differences and all–is in itself beautiful.
As I’ve said more than once, thank goodness everyone is different; this place sure would be a boring world without it. We should all take a look at what naturally surrounds us every day and try to work towards finding more beauty in the differences around us.
– Beth H, NEW BOOK JOY Guest Contributor
Conversation
How do YOU & your family celebrate the beauty in your differences?
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