Diversity and Inclusion Is Important in Spirituality

Whether I took to heart The Golden Rule teachings from Sunday school (treat others the way you wish to be treated) or it was something I was born with because I’m an empath (and can feel all the emotions others feel), I’ve always had a desire to make all people feel welcome and included. That’s now referred to as diversity and inclusion.

I felt so sorry for the one little black boy that was assigned to my first or second grade class when segregation ended. He felt so out of place and different that he sat under his desk and cried much of the time. I sat down on the floor with him and tried to make him feel welcome. I remember worrying about him and wanting to make him feel better.

In college, one of my dearest friends was from Iran. Another of my college friends graduated from college before I did and got a job in DC. Being a cultural hub, I’d often visit on weekends. Every time I went, we’d say “What country do we want to visit today?” And we’d go to a restaurant from that country. Ethiopian and Japanese became my favorites.

After college, four of us (hired at the same time by the same company) became close friends. One was a beautiful girl from India. We got to attend her traditional multi-day Indian wedding. Oh, how I loved it.

The four of us met once a month for what we called “International Potluck.” We’d pick a country and then each of us would bring a dish from that place in the world. The food was always fabulous, and we got to celebrate a country and a culture.

In the little hamlet north of Santa Fe where I lived, I (being a pasty white chick) was the odd one. Living all around me were beautiful brown people with dark eyes and dark skin … some Native American, some with ancestors from Spain and others with ancestors from Mexico. I remember going to the grocery store and being the only white person there. It was such a strange and delightful feeling. It was also really interesting to be the tallest woman there. At 5’4,” I wasn’t used to feeling tall.

When I was homeschooling my son, we began exploring other cultures as early as 1st grade. One of the moms in our homeschool coop had found a book for kids about how different countries celebrated birthdays. Each month we’d have an International Birthday party for the kids having birthdays that month. We would incorporate games, food, language, crafts, and all sorts of things into the celebration.

It was also when my son was in first grade that I got to share with him that not all families look the same. One of the families in our homeschool coop was made of up two women and a son. So when my son asked questions about why his little friend had two moms, my response was simply that families look all sorts of ways. I explained to him that, “Sometimes a family has a mom, a dad, and one or more kids. Some families have two moms and one or more kids. Other families have two dads and one or more kids. Some families have no kids. And some families have only one mom or dad and one or more kids.” That was the end of the discussion. It’s all he needed or wanted to know.

In addition to learning about other cultures, I also made sure that I introduced him to music of all types and every religion I could find. I refused to force him to take on a particular belief about the Divine. I helped him explore and come to his own conclusions.

The fascination with people, food, cultures, and traditions, unlike those I grew up with, continued as I traveled the world. One of my fondest memories was being on an island in Fiji with the boat captain and my son, hanging out with the people who lived there, getting to eat their food, and learn something about them. We were the only white people on the island at the time. Somo Somo was the only island in Fiji with a female chief. It was such an honor to be there.

Be open to people and beings of light unlike yourself, and savor the magical moments that can ensue.