“Beauty is in it. Your best you is in it Believe it. Trust it. Never doubt it.”
I want to share a little story with you about trusting in your individuality and uniqueness.
It’s a story my father shared with me just before he passed away last year. He shared it with me because I had just begun recognizing some of the struggles he and my mother had come through like a couple of mixed races.
You see, my father was a full-on white guy from Mississippi; football player, popular, artistic, athletic, and funny. He met and fell in love with my mother.
She was a fiery flamenco dancer, with dark skin and full lips. They married and started a family, at a time when it was illegal for them to even hold hands in most states. He shared this story with me because as a child, I never saw any of their adversity.
All I knew, was we were unique, but in a special wonderful sort of way. Wonderful because my parents were proud, rather than angry, or embarrassed that we didn’t fit in.
In an effort to give me a sense of how important it is to trust and honor your individuality, my father shared with me this story:
While we were living in Waco Texas, we performed a Christmas show for the local orphanage, complete with dances from Tahiti, Russia, and Japan. My mother taught all her daughters to dance, while my father built a sound system and a lightbox for the show. Just one of those unique things we did. We labored for months to deliver a two-hour show with goodies to hand out afterward and a Santa to listen to their wishes.
The show was a huge success. The kids were ecstatic, having never had such a treat growing up in that little orphanage in the tiny town of Waco.
After the show, the well-meaning woman in charge of the orphanage thanked my father for the fantastic show. Then said to him in all sincerity, “we made her sad because our being of the mixed race meant we would never fit in. We would never succeed or be accepted.”
After all the joy we had provided for those children, she told my father it would have been better if he had never brought us into this world at all.
God never meant for it to be that way. My father chewed on this for a moment and responded. “ Lady, I hope I’m standing there at the pearly gates with God when she tells you what it’s really all about.” He turned on his heels and exited stage left.
I can only imagine what that woman was thinking. As she watched my perfect white father wander off to his little dark family, waiting outside beneath the canopy of stars.
Those were placed in the sky by some she god never even contemplated before.
Now as an adult, I wonder what dynamic, joyful woman lay dormant all those years inside. The scared little lady who thought she was doing the right thing.
I wonder what wonderful bits of their mom her own children never had the pleasure of experiencing. Now that makes me sad.
Ask yourself this question: Are my children, my friends, my family, my job getting the most wonderful parts of me?
What wonderful bits of me, do I wish I could share more of with them, or more often with them?
Write that down. Put it where you can see it every day. Ponder.
To download the recorded seminar click here. Elements of Life “Individuality”
Written by: Nia Peeples
Bella Petite Hour LifeStyle Show with Nia Peeples and co-host Ann Lauren.
LIVE every first Tuesday of the month starting April 6th at 10:00 am PST on America’sWebRadio.com.
What an amazing life you and your family have lived! Thank you for sharing.
You are really great Nia, so happy you are doing this at Bellapetite! Impressive story it is good you are telling it.
Nia you make me proud to be a latin/asian woman! My parents to are a mixed raced couple and there is a stigma attached to it even today.
This story you told really enlightened me on how far we come as a nation of acceptance. Great read!
A thought provoking story. Lovely! thank you…
My family is totally boring next to yours. You are inspiring!
People really can learn something from your story. Look to hear you on the bella petite radio!
You make happy to be me thank you! Individuality is beauty.
Nia – great story! I’ve often wondered myself if my children would be teased or not accepted since they come from a mom who is stark, “blindingly” white (LOL) and a father who is Mexican & Puerto Rican? I, coming from both “caucasian” parents, being raised in East L.A., grew up as the “minority” and totally understand what “racism,” or being the odd one out, feels like. I feel blessed by the experience, which has enable me to authentically teach my children that “blood” is ONE color, no matter what your ethnicity!
I’m very sorry for your loss — Your father sounded like a wise man. Thanks for “enlightening!”
hey everyone, Thanks so much for reading and allowing me to share. It makes the experiences that much more profound and timeless. And regardless of how together we feel on some days EVERYONE has those days when we just want to bury our heads in the sand. My being able to share these stories and philosophies reinforces them in my own life. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. Be sure to check out all the other stories at niaselementsoflife.com
sincerely,
NIa