"Does he want to stay for supper?"

My mother was color blind. She could see and differentiate colors just fine. She couldn't see the imaginary walls our society places between people.

When I was a kid and I brought home Chinese friends and black friends, and Hispanic friends from the neighborhood, her only reaction was,

"Does he want to stay for supper?"

I had two friends who happened to be gay. Same question.

My mom never sat me down and instructed me that treat everyone alike and not judge people based on our differences. It was simply who she was. She was merely blind to those differences. I learned it because she lived it.

If she were alive today and knew how many Muslim and Native American friends I have... If she knew how many Hindu friends of each caste I consider part of my "adult family of choice," she would probably say,

"Wouldn't it be nice to have them ALL over for supper?"