My United Nations of Friends

My united nations of friends

With all of this racial unrest going on in this country and the world, I still can't grasp why people are like this.

I can't understand racism because I have a rainbow of color in my life. I can't understand war because no one wins, just so many innocent people are killed.

I looked back at the times of my life, and I saw the United Nations of my friends. I have friends from Cuba, from Puerto Rico, I have friends from Nicaragua, Black friends, Chinese friends, who are all from different backgrounds, different religions, different sexual orientations and yea, even from different political parties yet we are all friends.

This mixed group is here for one another. We all love each other. They are there for one another through thick and thin, and we always help each other out.

These are the friends I choose for my family, and I know that they are with me through thick and thin, through good times and bad times. They are there for me when I need a shoulder to cry on, when I needed groceries for my kids, when times are hard, these are the people that I know will be there for me, and they know I will be there for them.

I have Caribbean friends and friends from Antigua, St. Thomas, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Haiti, and Columbian friends. I have black, brown, yellow and white friends. I have friends who are gay or straight. I have LGBT friends and drag queen friends. I have Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, and even Atheist friends.

I have friends who are democrats, republican, independent, and people from the we don't give a shit party. It does not matter to me. They are all the people I choose to invite into my life. The ones who love me for me and that I love for their heart and soul. 

So what I don't get is why it is so hard for others to get this? There are good and bad in all, in police, in blacks, in whites, in Christians, in Muslims, in all, there are good and bad but to hate one race, one culture, or one religion on what a few bad apples have done, well that is just horrible.

I say in my blogs all the time, to be compassionate towards others, to love one another, to step out of your box and meet new people who aren't like you.

So many people don't even know another person of another race or they may have the one "token" black friend but know nothing about others. 

I am here to tell you that you are missing out, as I have learned such culture from these different groups. I learned to enjoy different foods, music, and religions, but most of all, I have learned to be open enough to learn from them and their ideas and their heritage. 

Did you get that message? Let me repeat it for those in the back! 

I am open enough to learn from people who are different from me.

Because when you are open enough to learn, you will learn that we are all not so different after all. We all love our children and our families. We want a better life for them than we had. We all want to be loved and respected. We all want to have equal rights. We all want to be seen for what we have on the inside. 

Common HUMAN rights. Not religious or race or political goals, just common human decency.

So today my friends, I invite you to open up your mind, to step out of your box, to embrace others different from you, because it will be amazing what you will learn if you do.

And to my incredible bunch of United Nations of friends, thank you for being my friend, for allowing me into your world and your hearts, and I am truly humbled to know and love you all.

"Be the change you want to see,"

 

@TreadmillTreats