I recently sat in a gathering consisting of ladies of different ages.
There were those who were from my mother’s generation, or a little older. There were parents with young families. There were several children, a teenager and my grandmother.

What struck me was the similarity between us. Despite differing opinions and debates, there came a level of mutual understanding and common ground.

It was refreshing to learn that hardship is not confined to a time or a place. That, in the face of varying experiences, a 65 year old shares the same humanness with a 16 year old.

Complete immersion in our own routines breeds a lack of awareness of the bigger picture. We convince ourselves that others cannot possibly relate to our situation, that they don’t have the ability to enter our complex circle.

Instead of acknowledging that diversity is something to celebrate, we separate.

Age, gender, race, religion, background.

Attaching labels that are far greater than the contrasts they claim to portray.

By Sarah Abdelrahman