Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge – The Strength of Diversity

Today we are celebrating!

Once again, I am slightly out of step with the new challenge that has been thrown out by Silverthreading and Ronovan Writes, which is #WQWWC Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge. This week their theme is “mystery,” but Silver kindly gives all contributors her permission to step out of line if there is something off-theme that they feel is important to share. I promise to behave some day soon, Silver!

In the United Kingdom and in the British Commonwealth of Nations we are celebrating our Queen’s ninetieth birthday. We are all very proud of our monarch. She is a remarkable woman, and probably the most famous and widely-respected woman on our planet today.

My family are also celebrating my lovely wife, Joy’s birthday. She has had lots of lovely messages from friends and family and a few very nice gifts. This evening, I am treating her and my younger son’s family, and a life-long friend of my son, to that most British of meals: a pub curry and a beer. It will be fun.

It is also the birthday of a very good friend of mine.

So today is a right royal occasion.

I deliberately slipped that comment about the British curry into our conversation because I see it as a wonderful example of how cultures overlap and merge. Every day, I celebrate the diversity of cultures, languages and cuisines that exist on planet Earth. I celebrate the similarities at the same time as I marvel at the differences. Aren’t we lucky to have such wonderful diversity all around us to make our lives so interesting?

This is why I love the following quote from my monarch’s 2004 Christmas message.

Her Majesty went on to say, “But there is every reason to be hopeful about the future. I certainly recognise that much has been achieved in my lifetime.

“I believe tolerance and fair play remain strong British values and we have so much to build on for the future.

“It was for this reason that I particularly enjoyed a story I heard the other day about an overseas visitor to Britain who said the best part of his visit had been travelling from Heathrow into central London on the tube.

“His British friends were, as you can imagine, somewhat surprised, particularly as the visitor had been to some of the great attractions of the country. What do you mean they asked? Because, he replied, I boarded the train just as the schools were coming out.

“At each stop children were getting on and off – they were of every ethnic and religious background, some with scarves or turbans, some talking quietly, others playing and occasionally misbehaving together – completely at ease and trusting one another. How lucky you are, said the visitor, to live in a country where your children can grow up this way.

“I hope they will be allowed to enjoy this happy companionship for the rest of their lives.”

Queen Elizabeth II is an inspiration to us all!

Her wise message fills my heart with joy. How does it affect you?

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