Xristuusax̂ Aĝlaĝikux̂! Aĝanĝulakan Aĝlaĝikux̂! (Unangam tunuu) Khristós anésti! Alithós anésti! (Greek) Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese! (Church Slavonic) Kristus vstal z mŕtvych! Skutočne vstal z mŕtvych! (Slovak) Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Category: Culture
What I miss the most.
Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis my life has become one big puzzle about what, when, and how my immune system has already been and is still being impacted. Suffice it to say, it sucks. No longer included in my diet are wheat and soy. Never do I use processed foods. I make my own ghee so that I can have butter. I should eat only organic foods, but living in the Aleutian Islands makes that nearly impossible. I think holidays are probably the times when I really miss certain foods. I think the one thing that I miss the most is my mother’s Easter bread, or what we call kulich , made for our Orthodox Easter. I am honestly going to try to make it with gluten free flour one of these years. I just have to prepare myself for what may be utter failure and a waste of resources.
Diversity
In looking at this picture, you might not even think that there is much diversity in this group. They are all wearing beyond comfortable jeans and footwear. They are sporting the same t-shirt with various pullovers for comfort. They are sporting sunglasses and hats for shade…except for the kids who haven’t learned the virtues of protecting skin and eyes yet. They have all come together to support a common cause and to play a common game. (Well, common game in an uncommon location; tundra golf…not for the faint of heart.) You wouldn’t think that so many different cultures could be represented in such a small group, but without going into their personal backgrounds, I will just tell you that they represent everything.
On this day of reflection I like to think that America was brilliant at being a model for diversity and inclusiveness. How that changed mimics the changes we see on a local level. Learning about different cultures, with the result of respecting them, opens the door for open minds. Take a lesson from indigenous cultures who for millennia were inclusive of all people no matter their beliefs, skin tone, or gender identification and/or definition. Although I now believe that our ability to pass on values of diversity acceptance has become more difficult, I still believe that our ability to truly appreciate and celebrate diverse cultures stems from the generosity of those who choose to share their values and their dreams with the group as a whole.
Unalaska From My Point of View 
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