(Not) Colour-Blind

I was inspired by this post by Lauren Casper a couple of months back, and I have been wanting to write something similar for awhile....I remember talking with my mom a long time ago about being "colour-blind", and I am not sure what we said, but I think it was something to the effect "we should just be colour blind." And while I get where she was coming from, I think that's a false statement. False forward to a couple of months ago (after I read this article), and I told her that I had just read this amazing article about not being colour-blind to others' ethnic beauty, and she totally got where I was coming from. She essentially agreed with me. But that isn't the point of this post...

A quick back story on Lauren, and her family...she struggled with infertility for years, before she and her hubby adopted two beautiful children from Ethiopia. They have since had their challenges (both of them have autism), which she blogs about, and she also has a speaking ministry, etc.

So, anyway..I read this article, and essentially, it talks on how we SHOULDN'T be colour-blind to others. Sure, don't let it be the only thing we think of, but I truly believe that we should embrace their differences, and compliment them (remember, flattery will get you no where, so be sincere about it, and don't be ignorant when complimenting them). I also remember reading a blog that I frequent, and when they adopted their first daughter, they actually said that they didn't want to discuss what race she is (I could tell she wasn't fully white), and I remember thinking on how sad that was. I know they did it, b/c to them, it didn't matter, and it shouldn't matter, but it should noticed.

Case in point....our family are all boring whities. Or rather, we WERE all boring...then we FINALLY got some ethnicity and culture added to our group. Krystle is half Caucasian and half Caribbean (or is it African American?). She is gorgeous! I love talking hair or about her culture with her. H knows he is white, and his daddy and his family (us) are white, and that his mama and her family (excluding her dad) is brown. He likes to use the brown plates while he is at Grandmom's, and the white plates as his house. He knows that his mama looks like Grandmom, and he looks like his dad (in case you haven't followed along in the last four years, they adopted him right from birth, and his birth parents are both Caucasian). I love that he knows this. Colours don't mean a thing to him, yet he knows the difference, and embraces it.

Then there is Naomi. She is Haitian. Her parents adopted her while they were in Haiti. They also adopted her sister (not bio) at the same time. They are both beautiful. They both have the darkest skin...and the most beautiful hair....she will often wear extensions in her hair, so I never know what she will look like! I am sure that she will introduce us to some of her culture as well (though she has become pretty Canadian/Americanized!!). I am sure we will talk of her/their life in Haiti (I have talked wither mom about a few times), and remind us on how good we have it here in Canada. I am proud of my sisters-in-law. I love and embrace their ethnicity. I am happy that they are apart of our lives. I am happy that we/they have added some culture to our family!