What I Have Learned: Being Multi-Cultural

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone got the chance to link up yesterday and add to the topic thread #dropthemask!

I will be sharing some intimate things in the coming week so stay tuned on the Thursday Link-Ups!

I thought for the month of November I would start a series called "What I have Learned". 

If you don't know me, I LOVE to learn. I am curious about so many things and always want to know the how's or why's or even "what if's". 

There is always opportunity to learn- so every Friday I will be sharing a bit about me and what I have learned from different things in my life!

One of the first things I get asked when I meet someone is "What is your nationality." People always use the word unique when they describe my name back to me or what I look like. I do not know whether to take that as a compliment or a discrete dis, haha.

My dad is persian (Iranian) and my mom has European decent (German mostly). 

My dad came to the Unites States when he was 18 on a student visa and my mom grew up in MN her whole life. 

Isn't it amazing that two people that started at opposite ends of the world met, came together, and create me?! I find that fascinating. I always like to joke and say that's how you know God has a plan for me- because he brought two unlikely people together.

I say unlikely people not just because they come from different places. They also believed in different things, had totally different personalities, goals and interpretations of the world around them. 

My dad is Muslim, hard headed and hard working but very intelligent. If I had to describe him further, I would say he is passionate about creating and building, has a mind to succeed and loves to stay active. He is a "my way or highway" type of person which being his daughter, can be hard to deal with, but I know it comes from the right place.

My mom is very different. She is christian, sensitive, and gentle. Some will say she is the kindest person they have ever met (I have had a different experience, haha. Just kidding, Mom.).

She is also very smart but she doesn't believe in one way to succeed, but everyone has their own idea of what success is to them. My mom will give input when needed but allows us to learn things on our own. 

Having parents with not only different cultural backgrounds but totally different personalities has almost created a blank canvas to who I can be and become.

I have been able to take personality traits from each parent and practice it in my own life. 

For example, I love my dad's ambition, so I often found myself trying to mimic that growing up. My mom is gentle and sweet, so I paid attention to how she approached people and situations. 

Some bad traits have worn off on me, but luckily Jesus tries to fix those everyday, haha. 

I would say one think being multi cultural and growing up with parents of different background has taught me is to accept people the way they are. 

There are so many things that shape us on a daily basis, that it's ridiculous to waste time judging or thinking someone should be similar to you. 

It has taught me how to deal with many different types of people with different backgrounds and beliefs. It's not always the easiest to accept everything people do, but it's allowed me to be adaptable and patient to the people around me.

I thank God for giving me such different parents. After all, the most important things are that they are healthy and I have parents that love me. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

-A