Touched by an Angel: Celebrate our differences

"Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference." - Jane Goodall

As the political conversations, challenges and arguments settle, we make up our minds and vote. We vote for the party or parties that will govern us for the next three years. Only then can we turn to the next challenges ahead of us.

As we all benefit from living again in level 1, if Covid has taught us anything, it is that we live in a changing world.

Having a difference of opinion, regardless of what it is about, should never be a cause for withdrawing from a friend. It should never be a reason to slander someone or put them down for what they believe.

I have learned that no matter how good I try to be, there will always be someone who doesn't agree with me. I do not mind a difference of opinion, what I do mind, is when it becomes hate.

My Angels call this fear of difference, and they talk about this being interesting, because our strength lies in difference, not in similarities. They say it is very human of us to challenge each other, to try to get people to think and believe like us. We all handle challenges in our own ways.

We all endure some trauma in our lives like the recent fires, floods, and storms. The world as we have known it, is changing. We may experience times when we are in broken homes, when we lose a parent or other loved one (often prematurely and in tragic ways) and we battle with sickness. To us it may seem undeserved, and these are only the extremes.

Many of us suffer subtle miseries, for things we dismiss that nevertheless fester over a lifetime: the short, the fat, the meek, the awkward. Everyone struggles.

It doesn't matter in which country, city or town, school we go to or family we live in; somewhere deep in our hearts, we know we each have a role to play. We each have the ability to face these struggles, with courage. We have that ability to get through the things that frighten us, we have the strength to face pain and grief.

My friends, each day we have a role to play and each one of us can make a difference. Together, face this week with courage and strength. Embrace our differences and face into the next lot of challenges.

Arohanui.

Shirley-Joy