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Celebrating our unique
diversity -- together
From the Editor | Tim Miejan
I was one of the lucky ones.
Born with a cleft palate, I had my first major surgery to repair the birth defect
at age six months. More than a dozen surgeries followed during my childhood. I could
have been scarred emotionally by the taunts from unknowing school mates and psychically
from self-condemnation. I could have entered life as a young adult with the confidence
of a scared child. But I was lucky enough to receive so much unconditional love from
my mother, and from other loved ones surrounding me, that it lifted me into a realm
of self-acceptance, rather than self-denial.
That's not to say that I haven't had to ignore thoughts that question my self-worth
throughout my life. At high tide, when ego is crashing the rocks and flooding my
mind, the doubts return. Two nights ago, I dreamt that I was being condemned for
an imperfect appearance and I woke with the task of rebuilding my esteem.
I have heard the hurtful names that bullies shout, for they still echo in some far-distant
past. But I have also heard the whispers of angels that remind me that despite all
that we experience in our lives, our inner self, our overseeing higher self, remains
pure, the energy of love itself. In that understanding, I rest secure that I am no
different than any other person on Earth. My scars may be more visible, and those
of others may be hidden deep within the psyche, but we all are infinitely gifted
light beings who have donned various costumes, have accepted various roles, and are
incredibly brave to be doing what we're doing in these spacesuits we call bodies.
That said, we are all still seeking to grow, to evolve, to learn to love. And the
challenge remains daunting. We have a lot of growing up to do as a species. There
are millions of other children who are not loved. Some of them are bought and sold
like slaves. Some of them are murdered. Some of them are beaten. Some of them are
raped. Many of them are told they are good for nothing. All of them believe the lies.
Our children shouldn't have to scream in pain to get our attention. Our children
shouldn't have to starve. Our children shouldn't feel they have to shoot a school
apart before we acknowledge their presence, too late to proclaim their gifts. In
death, we publicly condemn their actions and cite their many flaws, and we chalk
their acts up to another case of evil, the birth of one more bad seed among us.
But there are no bad seeds, only those that are neglected and not nurtured with love,
respect and human kindness. Without this, these seeds fall to the wind, treated like
a plant dropped on concrete rather than gently placed in moistened soil. They fail
to bloom. They fail to thrive in the midst of a universe of chaos, a scattering of
electrons and particles that never ends.
They are like weeds we poison in our lawns. They are like strays that are locked
away in the pound. Unwanted. Unloved. Now in their cell, we feed and water them and
throw away the key. They live, but what good is a life without meaning? Do any of
us know what a life without love feels like?
As a society, not recognizing and not acknowledging these children, who mean nothing
more to us than tumbleweeds blowing across a deserted parking lot, is tantamount
to collective child abuse. Misgivings such as these are unfathomable and unthinkable.
Yet they exist.
Yes, we live in a free-will society, and our government believes that each citizen
is responsible for self-empowerment. But I dare to suggest that until we care for
the least of our brothers and sisters like we care for the most powerful among us,
then we are not close to realizing our innate human-ness.
Each of us is a gift. And each of us adds something special to the mix. Together,
we form the quilt of humanity. We are inherently linked. Even if we lose sight of
our connection with each other, we are all part of this fabric, this constantly moving
tapestry of life that is buffeted by the universal field like a flag in the wind.
Let us celebrate our individual uniqueness and honor the value of diversity. Let
us reach out to the least among us and help them lift their heads, encouraging them
to see themselves as gifts, not failures, loving them as we love ourselves. Let our
village begin to support our children. Let us form nets of support so our young people
do not fall through the cracks and become the statistics of tomorrow. Let us see
every new life as a gem worth more than our sports franchises and Hollywood empires
and our corporate holdings combined. Collectively, we can do more to ensure that
diversity is not a challenge in our world, but a blessing in our lives.
Tim Miejan is editor of Edge Life magazine. Contact him at (651) 578-8969, toll-free
1 (888) 776-5687 or e-mail editor@edgelife.net
Copyright © 2005 Tim Miejan. All rights reserved. |
| May 2005 |
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