The beautiful difference-edited to make more sense

So sometimes I feel like I waited til my 30's to learn some very important lessons that most people probably learn in a more timely fashion. One of the things I have been marveling at lately is how beautiful all the differences in people really are. I used to be more of a "blend in", "don't rock the boat", "don't break the rules", and "always do what pleases people even if it makes you unhappy" kinda girl. Adam can once again testify to this. (and to the many fights it led to since he is.... well... the exact opposite of that.) I was deathly afraid to do anything that might be considered nerdy or dumb or not cool. I know right? It's like I went to high school til last year. But the truth is that I did think that way. I am a people pleaser, I like having people like me and I thought the easiest way to achieve that was to just blend right in. I think right about the time when I quit caring what people thought of me (for various reasons- that's another blog) I started to appreciate and enjoy seeing what makes other people tick. Allowing myself to really be myself let me begin to see that the differences in everyone- even the differences that might make you nerdy (: - are what also makes you beautiful. It is fun to look around at all my different friends and family and be able to see the fun or the craziness or the thoughts or the kindness or the sarcasm or the brains or the faith that makes them wonderful. It is interesting to me to see their passion lived out in their daily lives. What makes them happy, what they enjoy spending their free time on, what they like to learn or read or do. I have learned to respect and appreciate all the different passions that people have instead of thinking that everyone should be the same and that people outside that sameness are weird or wrong. Again- I realize this is not a lesson normally learned at my age. Or maybe it is. Perhaps I should say it is not a lesson most people would own up to learning at this stage in life. But I have pretty much blabbed out all my secrets in this ole blog anyway so what's another one? Anyway - that's two introspective blogs right in a row so I promise to make the next one more fun! (: