Unity In Diversity

My roots are in India. I was born and raised in a cosmopolitan city in India.So all through my childhood,my parents encouraged me to be multicultural.We lived in a neighborhood belonging to families from different ethnicities.During festivals,shared sweets and greetings with them,becoming a part of their celebrations.My dad was a music lover and watched him end his day after work, relaxing to Lps ranging from Rabindrasangeet to Indian Classical to Western Symphony. Remember frolicking and dancing on songs of ‘Sound of Music’ often.
Growing up, when I was in college, had French as a language and noticed a lot of Mauritian students in class whose roots were from India but conversed with each other fluently in French as that was their national language. While pursuing my masters mingled with a lot of international students who attended our university because it was called the ’Oxford of East’. It encouraged my learning process while I stayed awestruck listening about their culture.
When I got married at 24 and moved to the West,noticed it’s not different here either. Me and my husband would go on long drives watching Halloween Decorations and Christmas Lights.Still remember once when I was expecting my son,strolling down a brick laden street at Alexandria,VA during Christmas,enjoying how the city glowed with lights enhancing it’s ambience and thought to myself,this is no different than Diwali-the Festival of Light that we celebrate in India. Today years later, when my neighbors and friends exchange treats and sweets on Christmas with me,it’s like reliving that childhood I once did.
A friend recently opened my eyes that while I’m learning Yoga today,isn’t it amazing that all my Yoga teachers are Americans. A few days back I read a book of Dr.Wayne Dyer who researched on Tao Tse Ching by famous Chinese philosopher LaoTsu and was awestruck at his knowledge.
Remember a song we would sing when we were kids,’It’s a small world after all’.