We Are More Alike Than We Are Unalike

We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” Maya Angelou (“The Human Family”)

This past weekend, a group of friends and I went out to dinner to our favorite Italian restaurant. It’s always a special event when we go, not that we go to celebrate anything in particular, but because it has delicious food and gracious and welcoming waitstaff; it’s this combination that makes for a party atmosphere – especially on a Saturday night. My best friend’s husband was sitting next to the table closest to ours where a couple were just starting in on their appetizers. He’s a friendly guy who feels comfortable talking to anyone and making them feel at home, which perfectly suited his career as a realtor. Seeing this couple’s plate of food that they were sharing, he said, “Can I ask what is it that you’re eating?” When they told him Brussel sprouts, he was intrigued, “Brussell sprouts? They look really good, much better than any Brussel sprouts I’ve seen before.” They nodded, “Yes, really good.” And with an awkward pause, the couple were about to go back to eating, but then the woman looked up at him and said, “Would you like to try some?” And my friend, grinned and said, “Well yeah. Thank you.” By the end of their meal and our meal, we were making plans to meet with them in a few weeks at a local Mexican restaurant.

In between that first shared bite and our hugs goodbye outside in the parking lot, we all found a lot of commonalities: love of small dogs, moving here from the same region of the same state, same hobbies and interests, and of course, love of good Italian food. We were laughing on the way home saying how it was such a splendid serendipitous evening that we all enjoyed. I thought of how it was the first time I’ve experienced this. But I do know one energetically vivacious 85-year-old from my book club in SoCal who loves befriending strangers, and eventually they become part of her inner circle of close friends. When I ask her how she met someone, the answer might be anything from “at the Getty Museum,” or “at the Salsa dance event at the Downtown Plaza.”

The more I thought of this recent dinner experience, the more I thought of how we are all much more alike than unalike and when we realize this interconnected Oneness with all, we’ll know that we’re truly living in heaven here on earth. We wouldn’t view strangers with cautionary suspicion, but rather embrace them as a friend we haven’t met yet. Yes, we would live not just believing this is a friendly Universe but live this belief, knowing that we are all the beloved of the Divine Love that created us, or as I like to call it God. One big family feasting with joyful gratitude at the infinite eternal table of this Life Divine.