Respect our differences

Respecting our differences 

There are 7,5 billion people living on this planet. There are wars being fought and love being celebrated. There are 4200 different religions in the world and that shows us how different and similar we are. When you peel of our beliefs, and our skin we look pretty much the same. But the excitement lies in the differences. Some people like this and other people are highly sensitive to that. 
When lack of understanding and respect destroys the quality of other people's lives.
I was just at my aunties 90 birthday party and there was about 60 guests. My aunt have been looking forward to this day for months and wanted everything to be perfect. She talked to my mom, her neighbor helped out for everything to run as smooth as possible.

Tender

I have a "tender belly" family with tender belly I mean that some of us have something we can not eat because it makes us sick. And this isn't just a gassy stomach and being a little bloated. I don't know how this feels, but I know that this will put them out of business for days with stomach pain and toilet runs if they eat it.

Drilled

My mom is drilled in these allergies and knows what to use and what not to use. My aunt have no clue and leaves this for my mom to handle. My mom makes sure that the people cocking the food is informed and explains the seriousness of the allergies. The staff says that it's not a problem because they are used to it and knows how to cock the food and what to use instead.

Venue

When we reach the venue, my aunt is already there and she has been on her feet for a while already greeting everyone by the door. I give her a hug and hands her the walker we brought her. The place looks nice and is decorated with candles and beautiful napkins.

Respect?

We find a place to sit and we try to get our family to sit together since we are the odd ones and knows hardly anyone besides our aunt, my moms sister. We are welcomed by my aunts neighbor who is half my aunts age, but more than happy with her as her closest friend. While she talks and gives her speech the staff starts to organize the food and plates. They are making a lot of noise and I can not hear what the almost 100 year old speaker is saying. Most of the guests are well past 80, weak in there legs and their voice. So in all the racket from the staff neither I or my aunt can hear whats being said. I want to walk over and tell them to be quiet, but I don't because I'm furthest away and I have to disturb the whole party to walk across the room.

Understanding?

My aunts neighbor comes over to our table asking about the food allergies, she hands some butter to one of my sisters and tells us that the food with no gluten and no milk is put here and there and that it's marked so she will recognize it. She says that there's a salad for my vegetarian daughter as well.

Lack of knowledge

The food is a buffet and they start with my aunties table and works there way up to us, we are the last ones to the buffet and there's food left, but the salad for my daughter is gone. My sisters gluten free bread is done and what ever is supposed to be milk free is lactose free. My sisters know how bad this can get and asks the staff one more time. Is it lactose free or is it milk free. The staff says not to worry it's milk free and safe to eat.

Enjoy the moment

The party continues and every time someone gives a speech I can hear the staff talking and making a lot of noise. I can even hear one of them arguing on the phone talking way too loud. I try not to let it bother me, but I think it is highly disrespectful towards my aunt who's paying a great deal of money for having this party at this place. All the guests are having a good time and my aunt is happy and that's what counts. I enjoy talking to my family and all of my aunts old friends.

Destroyed

The next day my sister calls and says she is sick and that my other sister called her and she is also sick. I want to through a fit, because now they have been up all night and they will both be in pain for days. And the worst part is that this could easily be avoided if the staff listened, separated the food and answered truthfully. All this is some small minded peoples ignorance and disrespect destroying the quality of other people's lives

Respect our differences 

This probably sounds like ranting and complaining, but it's not about the complaining. It's all about the respect or lack there of. Whether you understand something or not does not matter, what matters is that you respect what it is and take notes if you are forgetful. It's important to show respect for the differences we have. I find this to be one of those things that makes this world a very exiting place to live. We are different and we have different opinions. We like different things and we come from different cultures. We don't have to understand it, and we certainly don't have to like it, but we have to respect it.

Make it a habit

I want to recommend everyone to make a habit of respecting every persons difference no matter how crazy it seams to you. You are not the one who has to live with it, you just have to accept that it is there and that people are who they are. There's nothing wrong in having different opinions, but there's something wrong with not respecting it. Think how much you can hurt another human being just by not respecting a difference that you don't understand. And I believe in the laws of the universe, so if you intentionally disrespects someone, that is what will come back to you in the future. Do you really want to face disrespect from others just because they don't understand your differences?

“We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other's opposite and complement.” ― Hermann Hesse

Respect our differences 

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