My Friends

I guess you have to live in my community right now to kinda understand what's going on or what prompted this post....but since you probably don't, let's just say that there's a little bit of racial tension these days that is highly unusual in my community.  So, on the way home, I was thinking about my friends.  I'm so, so lucky.  Amongst the people that I consider my close friends--the ones I would drop anything for if they needed me--, I have blacks, an Egyptian/German, an Indian, and several Asians.  I have every denomination of Christianity, Muslim, Hindu, agnostic, and atheist.  I have a couple of lesbians and gays.  I have strong right-wingers and conservative left-wingers.  I don't think of this stuff often, though, because I am not friends with any of them because or "in spite of" these things.  I am friends with them because of who they are.  I am friends with them because they'd drop anything for me, too.  I am friends with them because they are amazing people who respect my right to believe in God and be extremely liberal about some things and extremely conservative about other things.  I am friends with them because we can have "political (or religious) discussions" that are just that--discussions and sharing of thoughts and ideas.  They are not debates, they are not arguements.  They are an acceptance of our differences and a respect for the things that we each value and care about.

I am a straight Christian white girl.  But I would proudly march with my friend for gay rights.  I would proudly fight with my friend for their civil rights.  I would proudly fight with my friend for their religious rights.  I would proudly respect my friend's right to pray to their God and I would respect their right to choose not to pray.

Do I agree with all of my friends?  Heck, no.  In fact, I disagree with my friends on a regular basis.  I'm not friends with them because we are exactly alike.  I am friends with them because they are amazing people.  They have hearts of gold, and they add to my life.  They open me up to new ideas, new thoughts, and new perspectives.  They make my heart bigger.  They make me feel like I'm as important as I think they are.  They're my friends, and I am so, so very proud of that fact.