The gift of common ground.
A gentleman came by to buy a bike... He asked me where I was from...originally. I answered, 'I am born and raised here.' Oddly enough, this is one of the ONLY times it was left at that. MOST times, people are digging into my parent's nationality, and deep down into my family ancestry and heritage to find an answer .... to what I don't know. But as I stood there, listening to understand the english speaking through the heavy accent without a flinch, I made sure to give present myself with the "heritage" of human kindness and understanding. I didn't want him stumbling for words as he examined the bike...even though he was, I let him know by how I answered that he was very well understood. I encouraged him that it was a good purchase and his child would enjoy the bike. And off he went.
So it made me think....how often do we stand firm in our differences like a badge of honour without seeing the person in front of us and relating to them on a level of common ground? We are ALL gifted with it. This interaction included parent to parent, minority to minority, and being an educated buyer.
Sometimes, it's even our stories that we have held on to for years. The ways that we stumble and struggle that bring us into the company of others. The ways in which we released ourselves from the "bondage" of "trauma" that helps to bring encouragement and brother/sisterhood with another. We GET to RELATE on so many levels....and we can easily use these tools, nuggets, gems, GIFTS of common ground to truly connect and build one another up.
This is a part of Sawubona (I see you) that I truly relish in each day. And when I look at my "tool box" FULL of relatable tools that cross a wide range of people and experiences, I truly enjoy the wealth of living I have been given.
Anyways, it was just a thought....I've got some laundry to continue "relating" to 
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