Celebrating Our Differences: Our Lessons From June

Oh, boy, it's July!  July 5th and it's a hot day!  I had intentions of doing this one earlier, but I suppose the July 4th Holiday excitement was early!   

Well, here we are. June is gone and now it's July! I'll miss June and I'll explain why. June was a special full of important moments. June is a month that reminds me of how amazing it is that everyone is different in their own ways, making our world a colorful place.

June was Pride Month, a time to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. I know it's said that the month was for just the LGBTQ+ community, but I like to think it's about celebrating diversity as well, celebrating diverse people. It was about recognizing all kinds of differences in people whether it came to our skin color, our sexual identities or some other kind of identities or our cultural backgrounds and recognizing how we're all different in our own ways. Accepting the LGBTQ+ community is also about accepting everyone who's different.

It's perplexing how in 2025 today we're still being judged based on our differences. Did a black person choose to be black? Did a person born in America or some other country choose to be born there? Did a person choose to be born with Down's Syndrome? How could we judge them when they didn't even choose how they were born?

How is it fair to judge or hate a person just because they're different from us. Believe me, I bet many people considered changing themselves or who they are because of the hatred they've seen today. But that's not the answer. The answer is just embracing yourself and others. Only control what you can control.

There was also Juneteenth. This was the day on June 19th where we remember the struggles and the victories of African Americans and it's the day for pushing for fairness and equality. It celebrates history that can help us understand and do better today.

Change is difficult for many of us but just trying to change others because we don't like them or can't stand them only leads us to frustration and unmet expectations. If we try to change others, we miss out on self-awareness, our own personal growth and understanding. We miss out on learning about someone and therefore, it's difficult to work with them in the workplace, school and out in the community because we're just full of anger and frustration.

Those emotions can make it difficult to reach both personal and professional goals and experiencing those for a long period of time can cause us chronic stress and I think in today's world, we might have an idea what that chronic stress can do to our bodies! Holding onto the anger and frustration of others causes us to miss out on how wonderful our world really is!

Every June, we recognize that our differences aren't weaknesses, but they are strengths enriching communities, fostering creativity and promoting growth. When I was in college, knew of a person who didn't like someone who was from the LGBT+ community, but they learned a lot about that person and found out many interesting things they didn't know!

I'm happy to say the person continued to live happier and continued to teach others that it's ok to be different, without abandoning their own personal identities. When that person held onto a lot of hatred and anger, their family spent less time with him and his romantic relationship ended abruptly, which drove him into depression for an extended period of time before he realized how much his attitudes affected him personally and professionally.

The important message is simple: love and accept each other, no matter who we are or what makes us different. Hatred and judging others are wrong because no one asks to be born a certain way or to have certain experiences. Everyone deserves kindness and respect, even if they seem different from us.
Let’s learn from each other, celebrate what makes us unique, and work toward a world where everyone feels safe, valued, and accepted. Be true to yourself and encourage others to do the same. Don't change because you are enough! People worry about losing their identities like their belief systems and how their parents raised them, fearing they'll be rejected if they change. Don't fear what you're losing but embrace what you're gaining!

As we go forward, remember what June taught us. Let those lessons guide how we treat others, help us build a more caring and inclusive world, and inspire us to make a positive difference for everyone.

FAQs

• Why is celebrating diversity important?

  Celebrating diversity enriches our lives by exposing us to different perspectives, experiences, and cultures. It fosters empathy, understanding, and creativity, leading to stronger communities and a more inclusive world.

• What can I do to promote acceptance and inclusivity?

  You can start by educating yourself about different cultures and identities, challenging your own biases, and speaking out against prejudice and discrimination. Support organizations that promote equality and inclusivity and actively create spaces where everyone feels welcome and respected.

• How can I be my authentic self?

  Being your authentic self involves understanding and accepting your strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Embrace your unique qualities, pursue your passions, and don't be afraid to express yourself honestly and openly.

• What should I do if I witness someone being discriminated against?

  If you feel safe, intervene by speaking up against the discrimination, offering support to the person being targeted, and reporting the incident to the appropriate authorities or organizations. If you don't feel safe intervening directly, find other ways to support the person being targeted and report the incident.

• How can I teach children about diversity and inclusion?

  Start early by exposing children to diverse books, toys, and media. Talk to them about differences in a positive and age-appropriate way and encourage them to interact with people from different backgrounds. Model inclusive behavior and challenge any biased or discriminatory comments or actions they may make.  No one is born hating a person.  Hate is taught.  So is love.  Teach love and acceptance if you wish to raise a compassionate generation.  Raising such a generation frees you from the burden of hatred, conflicts, division and even chronic stress and violence!

Nelson Mandela was arrested because he believed violence was the answer to fighting back apartheid laws.  Once released, he realized that reconciliation and forgiveness was how we can attain a more peaceful society.  It's difficult to change when we feel most vulnerable because it's uncomfortable and sometimes, even risky because of societal norms.  We may feel powerless if we change our beliefs and start being more accepting of others.  Change is a slow process, and we can get to that point once we realize the negative impact of prejudices that actually harms us.  

How about choosing kindness over judgment and love over fear? Every one of us has the power to make a positive difference. That's whether it’s by offering a kind word, standing up for someone who’s being treated unfairly (that's easier said than done sometimes, right? Consider what's really important to you when you answer that) or simply embracing the beautiful diversity that makes our world special. I ask of you now to think about how you can foster more acceptance and understanding in your daily life. Together, we can create a more inclusive, loving community, one small act of kindness at a time.

When You See Me

When you see me.... don't quickly assume that I need help.

When you see me.... don't say you're impressed with how strong I am, pushing around all day or comment on how low I am in my chair.

When you see me.... don't feel the need to ask if I am ok.  

When you see me... don't shout.

When you see me.... don't get up close to my face and speak at a very slow speed.

When you see me... see me as a person, who happens to be sitting down and who happens to hear less than many people.  

No matter what you see or what you may have learned about me, I am still a person like you.  I still have feelings, emotions, a beating heart, mind and soul, just like you.  I can still speak words, feel emotions and think thoughts.

I may not be exactly like you but I am still a human being.  We all may have different thoughts, feelings and opinions but it doesn't make us less of a person.  I still live to smile, laugh, think, feel, cry, get angry, eat and drink, play, work and interact with everything and human beings in the world.  

When you see me, you may see a wheelchair.

If you're a doctor, you may see a broken leg.

If you're a teacher, you may see my grades.

If you're some other professional serving the public such as an attorney, counselor or clerk, you may see my needs for your service.

Is that all you see?  Just a wheelchair?  Just a broken leg or clogged arteries that need unclogging?  Just my grades and scores that tell you how smart I am or whether I will graduate?  Just some papers in my hands for filing or payment?

What about who I am as a person?  Do you think about who you see when you see a wheelchair, when you see me trying to hear you, when you see a disease in my body, when you see me enter your classroom or workshop or when you see me come to you for your service?

This isn't just about me. It's not even about people with disabilities.  It's about all people who aren't always treated as human beings.  Doctors walk into an exam room to see you, they ask you medical questions, examine you, run tests then leave out the door.  Teachers walk into the classroom and teach you, grade you and give you homework and tests then go home back to their lives. Store clerks assist you with something, take your payment, bag your items then move onto the next customer.  Lawyers, repairmen, coaches and counselors provide you with their service and move on to the next person.

People who see you with a disability can see you have a wheelchair, a cane, scooter, a speech impediment or the way you walk because you have brain injury or cerebral palsy and all they think about is how you live your life with your disability and wonder if you need help or what they can do to help.  What about that person's personalities?  What about their abilities rather than disabilities?  What about what this person likes to do in their spare time, what they do for a living, what they think about others and everything going on around them?  What about their interests, beliefs or values?  

You see a person walking past you.  Other than what you see, what do you know about them?  What are their moods at the moment?  What are they struggling with these days?  What is making them content today?  What happened to them in the past that made them who they are right now?  

Imagine stepping on a subway in New York City.  Look around you and see all the people sitting and standing.  You see people standing or sitting alone or with their families, friends, significant others and colleagues.  There are a variety of people: young, old, children, babies, maybe a couple of people in wheelchairs, people conversing in Spanish or German, black people, Asian people, white people and people who wear unusual clothing, suits and ties, bright and loud clothing and just plain clothes.  

You see a couple sitting down together across from you.  The woman thinks everything in the relationship is going well but the man is secretly attracted to another woman from work.  Nevertheless, they're still looking at each other and smiling as if they've been in love for years.   On your left just a few feet down standing up is a middle-aged woman holding onto one of the straphangers.  She looks completely healthy but she may be hanging on to keep from collapsing, not only because the subway is moving but because she is tired from a round of chemotherapy she just had to treat her breast cancer.  On your right is a young man, looking out the window and while it looks like he's admiring the sunset over the New York Harbor, his eyes are actually glued on the Statue of Liberty.  You'd think he'd appreciate looking at such a historical but beautiful American sculpture but in reality, he is looking at the statue as he is thinking about a notification he received the day before from an immigration court, informing him that he has been deported back to his country in Israel.  Next to him is a group of teen girls giggling at one of their phones.  It appeared they were looking at some funny photo or text but they were actually excited when a boy in their class asked one of the girls out on a date.  Right behind you has been very quiet for the past 10 minutes then suddenly, a mother and a four-year-old boy steps on after the subway made a stop and the young boy is screaming, kicking and thrashing around.  Other passengers keep looking at him, wondering why the mother hasn't been able to control such a temperamental child but as you overhear the mother, you hear her tell her little boy calmly that she knows he hates subways and they will be at a place that you recognized very soon.  The place they are trying to get to is a therapy center for autistic children.  

When you see everyone around you, all you see is a head and a body wearing clothes.  All you see is a person with a service animal, a wheelchair or you see somebody who chew gum while walking down the street or you see them carrying two bags of who knows what.  When you let someone step in your office or class at work, you just see their reason why they're there.  Who are they?  Can you tell what they're going through just by looking at them? 

If we all try to make the effort and slow down and try to know the people that we meet, we can connect more, make no judgement about others and get along better.  On the internet, whether you're going in a chat room or message board, you don't see their faces.  So everyone's anonymous and that allows everyone in the world to create their own "alter egos."  Therefore, you meet a lot of fake people and people end up not getting along because a lot of people aren't being their true selves.  It's hard to connect when you don't know who you're connecting with.  It's a lot harder to trust them.  People start judging everyone because no one knows who they're really talking to.

I personally prefer people to get to know me for who I am, not what I use to get through life.  I want people to get to know me because that makes me human and when I feel like I'm being treated like a human being, I trust people to treat me with dignity, respect, care, love and like I belong with the rest of the world... even though I may be different.  Heck, everyone is different!

I would even love it if professionals who serve us (doctors, clerks, counselors, teachers etc...) would get to know us so they know our values and needs and so they can serve us better and make us feel like human beings and not just paychecks.  Treating others like humans gain our trust and respect and trust is what professionals like doctors and teachers need from us to serve us better.  Trust is what allows us to connect and if we connect, we become better people.  If you treat me and everyone else like we're humans and not anything else, a lot is gained!

I'm not saying you have to sit down and chat with me all day or ask me a ton of questions!  In fact, I'd prefer that you didn't bombard me with personal questions regarding my disability unless you want to know medically, what it means and how it affects me in the world.  Of course I want you to care that I have a disability.  Just don't make a huge deal out of it!  So instead of asking me if I need help or a push, just ask me what you'd ask a person without a disability like, "how are you?" or 'how is your day going so far?".  Instead of commenting how strong I am or how low I am sitting, just either comment on what a beautiful day it is or how fortunate we are to be able to experience the new things in life.  

Next time you see someone, just make small talk, no matter what you see with your eyes.  Just look past what you're seeing, get to know them, ask them questions and ask how they're doing in general to let them know you care about them as human beings.

When you see me (or others)... look past what your eyes are telling you about how we look, our health, religions, money, goals and just get to know us.  We're all busy or just not interested so many of us don't do that.  It is understandable that people at work are busy and have many people to see and people at home or other places have something important to do.  Just small talk is ok and good enough, even if it's just for a couple of minutes while you're doing something else!  I just want to know that you actually care.  If you care and don't judge, others will care about you too and will connect without judging you and trust you.  They will treat you like you're a real person.  After all, we are all humans!