What I Would Have Missed

"We have different ways of doing things, but in the ways that really matter--our hopes and heart's desires--we are more alike than different.  We live in each other."  ~Oprah

Recently I took a good look at the people in my life and realized what a variety of friends I have managed to gather up over the years.  In so many ways, they are completely different from each other, and completely different than me.

I have a vegetarian friend; I don't believe it's a real meal unless beef is involved.  Two of the absolute sweetest, kindest people I know are Mormon.  I've got friends who are Jewish and Athiest and Agnostic and Buddist and Catholic and every other Christian denomination you can think of.  And at some point in time, I have stepped into their Churches or celebrated their holidays or sat with them at a funeral.  I have friends who are Democrat and Republican, lesbian and right wing, old fashioned and who have probably burned their bras.  Like for real burned their bras. My friends are black and white and pretty much ever other color.  They are young and old and thin and round.  They have college degrees; they have dropped out of high school.  I've got some friends who hunt animals with bows and arrows, some who have manure on the majority of their shoes, and some who have never even seen a cow in person.  I'm even friends with some OU fans for crying out loud...you want to talk about open minded!

I say all of this because I've realized that had I sought out friends whose backgrounds and beliefs were the same as mine, well, I can't even tell you what I would have missed.  It's okay to love people who are different than you.  To respect them and to be kind to them and to learn from them and to be wonderful friends with them.  We are more alike than we are different.

And what I can tell you from my own life is that these people have made it---have made me---better.  I hate to think what I would have missed were I not to have found them.