I learned a lot during my experiences with my fellow RAs yesterday. The first experience happened during our class, in which we talked about diversity, specifically everyone's race, ethnicity (they're different, apparently. Whodathunkit?), and culture. The second experience happened after our staff meeting, during which the RAs from my building collaborated with the RAs from another building in preparation for a dance-off coming up next week.
Throughout the day, I kept coming back to the fact that we are all different. I think of people like the Mythbusters, who are very different individuals, yet act well together as a team. I think of people from bands like the Beatles, who performed so well together, yet eventually fell apart.
There are many separate reasons why these two groups found unity or a lack thereof, but the main point is, if we are not careful, friendships, marriages, and other dear relationships, no matter how strong they may appear, have the chance to crack under enough pressure. Hearing about diversity in class, I recognized the most important thing we can maintain under that selfsame pressure is a genuine love for those around us.
Sure, we may not know everyone, or even really love them in the same way we would a family member or friend, but seeing as how we are all children of our Heavenly Father, we--and by we, I mean everyone--deserve proper respect and kindness.
I feel as though a lot of damaged relationships begin with one of the participants dwelling on how different they are from the other (or others, as it may be). The more we focus on what sets us apart, the easier it is for the spirit of contention to find one of those cracks and wiggle in. However, I firmly believe that no matter what relationship we're in, we can find the strength to hold it together by channeling the same love we feel from our Savior toward whoever it is we're currently around.
I mentioned the RA dance-off because we had about eight or nine individuals in that room. Each of us were wielding ideas and concepts and questions and jokes willy-nilly, left and right, and inside out, and it would have been very easy for any of us to rage against the dying of the light when our ideas were tossed or merged with another. However, that didn't happen. We all stayed strong, and our enthusiasm remained high even after we decided to break and reconvene today, because of the love and respect we all had for each other. The important thing here is, then, that we're going to smash this dance-off into the ground. Look out, competition!
Who are some of your favorite 'odd couples?' Who was your least favorite break up?
I wrote a commentary about this post on August 6, 2015. Click here to read!
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