Accepting Yourself, Accepting Happiness.. (and the beauty in women, a personal message)

I read a very interesting news article about how being content with your own ethnic identity can lead to a happier lifestyle. In a study of 415 ninth-graders, researchers asked students to gauge the amount of stress they come across during the two week study and then gauge how happy they are and how comfortable they are with their ethnic identity. I truly believe that happiness begins with ourselves; in order to be happy with the rest of the world, we must first be content with ourselves. I think that heritage tells us what we've been through and how exactly we got here. Even though we may not have seen the struggles, it is in our blood, it has brought us here, it has allowed us to lead the lives we live today and we should all respect that.

Everyone says that we should lead our lives, live in the moment, carpe diem, but where would we be without history? Without ancestry? We must live for the day but we must remember, respect, and honor the majesty of our ancestry. Let's not forget the beauty in our blood, the richness in our ancestry, and the history in our hearts. Let's be happy with ourselves and proud of where we have come from.

I read two blogs, one talking about interracial relationships and one talking about the Asian-American culture and the teens who have questions about it. Frankly, I find both very interesting because they both relate to me. I have many questions and curiosities about my cultural heritage and I am currently on a quest to explore that; let it be through the Internet, talking to my mother, or reading about it. I also have been accused of not being interested in Asian girls; that just isn't true. Although my past shows that I have not dated a lot of girls of the Asian descent, I do not discriminate against them. I've talked to Asian girls before, it just happens to be that I don't notice them as much.

Maybe it's because I've been around Asian women all my life and I've learned to love them only as family members and other Asian women remind me of them and that social interest isn't there. I do admit that there are cute Asian girls and I do notice *smile*, my dating record just shows that I have a more extensive interest in other types of women. Through talking to some Asian women, I've seen that there is a lot to learn from them and being to relate to someone who has the same upbringing of culture as yourself is sometimes very soothing; just knowing that you have someone who shares your views and that you're not the "only one" in the world definitely helps you find your ethnic identity.

The blog about Asian American teens with questions also dealt with that issue, that having people around you who share your beliefs and values will help you connect to the world and to your own ancestry. It helps to take away the solitude that ethnic teens encounter from time to time. It makes us human. It takes away the lonely stage and lifts the curtains to a warming light of belonging. Nobody wants to be alone, and nobody is. Whether you resent your heritage or you embrace it, there's someone in the world to help you understand why. Personally, I am going to encourage you to embrace it as I have.

One last thing, kind of off track but let me clear my record. I have the utmost respect for women; you're all beautiful in my mind and your strength as women is unbelievable. I grew up with a single mother and three sisters, trust me I see the strength everyday. Sorry to be selfish, but I am SO glad I'm a male. Seeing the "times of the months" was definitely not fun. Now, seeing my mother raise five kids on her own, that's an amazing feat of strength that I have respected all my life. With no inclination of race, all women are beautiful in the measures of their spirit and soul. That's my opinion. So all in all, I am very open to all type of women because beauty can't be measured in ounces, pounds, inches, or pigment; it's measured by a scale of the heart, spirit, and soul. Beauty is only soul-deep.

The Blogs:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/54788.php

http://www.soulcast.com/post/show/29455/On-Interracial-Relationships

http://www.asian-nation.org/headlines/2008/05/does-a-strong-ethnic-identity-help-or-hurt/