Love is Splendid!

Childhood attempts to condition us to believe certain things. My family had very traditional values regarding race, class and religion. Growing up, I had no choice but to believe many of the ideals set forth in my culture. However, as I grew up I realized that the world might not be as my parents described it. Rather it was a lot bigger, bolder and filled with a variety of cultures and customs. A southern childhood did not prepare me for the challenges of global diversity. But it instilled values of traditionalism and Christianity.

Thankfully, my experiences have enlightened me to see the world beyond Black, White and Christian. Today, I see a rainbow of possibilities and probability. No longer am I pigeonholed into believing that my blackness defines everything in my existence. But I create my own destiny. I am able to decide who I wish to be and what I want to do. Most of all, I decide who I want to date. There are no laws against miscegenation or interracial marriage and the world has become a lot smaller. With one click I can connect with a man in China, Australia, Latin America or a multitude of other destinations. There are no boundaries to love or friendship. I have the ability to find kinship with anyone. Love has no color or context---it can be found in a variety of manners and methods. And who am I to stop it or decide that it should not be because a 1% genetic difference or a socio-economic variance. True love is boundless, beautiful and contextual.