Differences

Everyone and everything is different. My philosophy is, just because I may do something different or think different than someone, I respect the differences. For example, it was Rob's birthday yesterday. When it's my birthday I want the world to celebrate it with me, complete with cake, presents and a big to do. Rob, on the other hand, doesn't even want his birthday acknowledged. As hard as it was to do so, I respected that and didn't even wish him a happy birthday. The closest I got was when our neighbor put a candle in a piece of lasagna and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to him.
Animals have their differences as well. This afternoon we went on a horseback ride with the lady that had sold us Dixie. Much to my relief, she wanted me to ride the mellow Buckskin. About half hour into the ride, it became obvious that the mare and I were not meshing well. I'm still gun shy around horses and, with my elbow still healing, I just wanted the ride to be over. But, Sheila noticed my difficulty and traded horses with me. Although she wasn't sure that the trade was a great idea, "Silly Filly" was a much better fit for me. She did well even though she didn't have a bridle for me to control (I use that term loosely!) her with. After getting on, I really enjoyed the ride and the beautiful weather!
So, the key is to respect and appreciate the differences life has to offer!!