We weren't born that way...

If you watch small children interact with the world, you can learn some very important lessons. One of which is racism. One morning, while having breakfast at a hotel, my one year old nephew was ecstatic that the gentleman at the next table was waving and smiling at him. When this man returned his attention to the people at his table, my nephew did his very best to babble at him and try to carry on the conversation that he'd been very much enjoying. My nephew did not care one bit that this man's skin was a darker color than his. Why should he? The color of their skin has no bearing on who they are - as humans, as Souls. Here was a man with nice energy being friendly to my nephew and that's all he cared about.

Later that morning, a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, was in the lobby watching cartoons. She and my nephew hit it off. Again, they didn't care that their skin color was not the same. Skin color has become a label, a category, a separatization that humanity has created and perpetuated. It is learned - we are not born with it. We grow up learning that those who look different from us are (insert whatever divisionary commentary you can think of here). These beliefs have created a lot of injustice, a lot of harm and a lot of separation.

No matter what we look like on the outside, we all bleed, we all have a heart and we all wish for love and happiness in our life. We have a lot more in common than we think. When we judge people by the color of their skin, it creates an us vs. them mentality which invites problem after problem after problem. There is a phrase that I love: You are no better than me and I am no better than you. We just ARE. It is time we strive to be more like little children, looking past what's on the outside - for it's what's on the inside that matters most. Be very aware of your words and your actions because little ears are always listening and little eyes are always watching. What are YOU teaching them?

Love, Adrienne :)