Every culture has a story to tell, and we listen to them all.
We don’t all grow up in the same place, but we all have a grandmother who told us stories about when we were little, we all played the same games when we were kids, and we all loved our mom’s cooking when we came home from the park with our friends. We all share who we are and what we love because we are part of the same family: the human race.
We learn to see the beauty in what is different, in what is unusual, and to value the stories that everyone has to tell. Sometimes we see ourselves reflected in other cultures and other people.
Love and desire to understand will always transcend any language barrier, traditions, celebrations, and so on teach us empathy and a whole new point of view.
Sometimes we grow up believing that what we have known since childhood is the only thing that exists, but that is not the truth. It does not matter where we come from, the color of our skin, or the language we speak. Our hearts beat at the same rhythm. And when we learn to look at others with love and respect, the world is filled with understanding and hope.
When we understand another person’s culture, we begin to see the world through their eyes. You begin to understand why they laugh the way they do, why they cry the way they do, why their values are shaped by a history different from yours and why they are shaped by a history different from yours. That understanding not only makes us kinder, but it makes us feel deeply connected to one another, no matter how far apart we are. And it reminds us that, deep down, we all want the same thing: a sense of belonging.
