Thank you, Asia "People are people" (44 days until Wisconsin)

Yes, I can more adequately identify someone's home of origin as Australia or New Zealand, Canada, France, Korea, the Philippines, China, or Hong Kong or India. After living here for more than a decade, I no longer lump people into a category that I think they may go into - for example assuming someone is from China just because they look Asian.  

This is more valuable than ever in a day and age when assumptions about another's identity can be heavily laden with ill feelings or even ill-will.  It seems fear is on the rise for Americans of Asian descent these days, in particular.

The truth is that people are people.  It doesn't matter where I have gone or where I will go - children want to play, parents want to have a safe place for their children to play, and everyone wants to have enough to live on without undo stress or persecution.  We live our lives with joy and sorrow, love and fear, pain, suffering and redemption.  

A group of lovely ladies whose origins reach four continents.

What we mustn't forget is that we are all part of the same human family.  If you are hurting, ask for help.  If you see someone hurting, offer help.  Ethnicity, skin color, gender identity, sexual identity, age, weight, fitness level - these are all the external trappings of wearing a skin to walk around in.  But underneath is the heart, the love, the ability to connect, disconnect, ask for forgiveness, reconcile, rebuild and reconnect.

We have a lot of work to do as a human race to be sure.  But I am forever grateful for my opportunities to be places and meet people and get to know and love people from all over the world.  And through that process, I know in my heart of hearts we are all here just figuring ourselves out.  Let's do it together.