One of my favorite things about Amy and Ewa sharing their stories last week at the Girl’s Night Out, was the surprise many women experienced when Ewa shared that she came to the US as an immigrant from Poland. She left Poland with her parents when she was five, during the Cold War, seeking a better life.
Eventually they landed here, in Texas.
I was paying attention to how surprising this was because I’ve known Ewa for more than five years and I just found out while we were preparing to share her story. I had no clue how different Ewa’s childhood had been than mine. I grew up as the third of four girls, surrounded by family, support and people who spoke my language.
Ewa didn’t.
She was an only child. She had to learn to speak English at school quickly so that she could translate for her parents. She had many responsibilities as a child that would have been beyond my comprehension. She grew up strong and she grew up fast.
She grew up different.
But what’s so beautiful about Ewa’s story is that while her situation might have appeared very different on the outside, we really grew up the same. We shared some of the same hopes and dreams. The same desire for friendship. The same desire to succeed.
And now as adult mothers?
We may have been born in different countries. We may have different views on political candidates (I actually don’t know). But we still share the same dreams. We want to be good mothers, wives and friends. We want to do work that makes a difference. We both want to use our gifts to serve others.
We want to leave this world better than we found it.
“It seems as though it’s a lot more productive to look for something in common. Attitudes and expectations. Beliefs in the common good and forward motion. A desire to make something that matters…
Because there’s always more in common than different.” ~ Seth Godin
As you go about your day today, pay attention.
When you encounter someone with a different story than you, look for what you have in common. Look beyond their political views, for their humanity. It’s there. We’re all breathing the same air. We have more in common than you think.
We’re all looking for love and connection.
Why not decide to share a little of that today?
to more love,
Crystal
