I have so many different types of tea in my kitchen cabinet, soothing green sencha, earthy green barley popcorn Genmaicha, perfumy black Early Grey and strong basic Irish breakfast, soothing camomile tea, astringent rosehips and hibiscus, herbal bitter orange, and stomach calming fennel tea. Each tea has a different characteristic, which I drink according to my different moods, some are therapeutic, some are soothing, some have oomph, some have caffeine, some not. This diversity in teas is wonderful and offers me all these different options. In general, we welcome choices like these, whether in food and drink, or the way we dress, or about what books we like.

People, too, are diverse. So many different beliefs and convictions, so many different talents, so many different physical characteristics, so many different expressions. Why is it then that we can sometimes feel threatened by the diversity in people? That we feel intimated by a different physicality, by a different opinion? Why do we feel safe among people who think like us? We do we have a tendency to judge different opinions? How about relishing our diversity? What do you think?