Changes, life, differences

I have never been known as the most faithful poster in the history of blogdom,
even though I am hounded by more people than I imagined read this thing.
One of the reasons is that my life, like yours, I'm sure, is always changing.
Sometimes more than I realize, and sometimes in very subtle ways. And in some not so subtle.
One of the things I am constantly assured of by my life experience, is that no matter
how much I want things to be calm and peaceful, things change of their own accord,
and can throw life into upheaval. New information reveals itself, old relationships come back, new ones change, and you cannot keep the sameness and still have a life worth living.
No matter your spiritual orientation, we all have one commandment we have no choice in
obeying;"Live your life", and by so doing, we evolve, things become different. You cannot be
shown new knowledge, or experiences, and remain the same person you were before.
You can hide from it, or deny it, but then you become isolated from the process of living,
or from those who care about you.
The funny thing about differences is, they don't have to be divisions. It seems, in this world,
differences count for more than they are worth. Political differences divide families, religous differences divide nations, and differences in thought divide people who would otherwise
work together. It is a very sad reality. We have to be able to transcend that. I can respect your differences from me, and still think they are wrong, without demonizing you for having them. I don't have to like the difference, I don't have to accept them as my own, but,
I also don't have to hate you, or denigrate you for having them. As is the true definition,
I can tolerate them, without adopting them as my way. I expect no more, tolerate, and maybe even discuss and learn. Differences bring change, and maybe even progress. Division
leads to regression, and needless pain, both for the people rejected, and to the rejector.
We are tasked with learning and growing, and helping people in this life. In order to have a world worth living in, we need to get beyond the false dichotomies given us, and be brave enough to embrace the differences we all have, and realize that together, we can live. We don't have to be friends, we don't have to be enemies, but we are all neighbors on this planet, and we
need to grow up. Time is short, and relationships are to valuable to waste on stupidity and rigidity. Life changes, and we either go with it, or we die, bit by bit, inside, until our bodies catch up with our atrophied spirits and minds.
Thank you.