Being the parent of two amazing children is one of life’s greatest experiences. They’re unique beings who constantly remind me of what is important and where my focus should be. They lead me to invest my energies in more worthwhile pursuits while avoiding the many dramas I see others fall into. They, like most children, are artists. They diverge, they observe, and they create. They are like no other. They are the future.
I am also keenly aware that my children and I don’t fall neatly into categories.
We are a jumble of race and ethnicity. My father is of African descent and my mother is of European/French ancestry. Their race (my children) is further diversified by their mother’s El Salvadoran heritage. They are a beautiful culmination of peoples from at least 3 continents and:
They are a glimpse of the future.
They ARE the future.
While I see a world in turmoil and racial tensions still erupting, I can not help but be struck by one awe-inspiring fact:
One day, race will simply cease to exist.
One day, 500 or even 1,000 years from now, if the human species has survived, we will have ‘inter-related’ into one (probably) golden-skinned, rapidly speaking people, barely recognizable to ourselves today. Language will likely have evolved into one common tongue as well. Now, this is only speculation but it sheds light on the inevitable truth of our common past and our shared destiny.
. . .
What is true is that it has been conclusively shown we all originated on the plains of Africa, spread out across the globe, and expressed varying genetic traits, inherent in all people, based on the climate we evolved to survive in.
So, these things that so many base their identity on, the things which unite some and cause such extreme division and violence among others is an illusion.
At one point race never existed and, as the world grows smaller and more connected, it seems destined to cease existing again. If we by that time, have not conquered conflict, then I hope at the very least we have found something much more substantial to fight each other with. Racial identity is not a wound or a weapon — It is a phantom. By not seeing the myriad similarities and focusing only on our imagined differences, we are fighting ghosts.
I think it’s time to let go and move on. To enjoy our uniqueness as a trait we share, not one that separates us.
That we diverge, we observe, and we create a masterpiece together — called: The Future.
. . .
Fleur Sauvage is a Poet, Writer, Musician, and Artist striving to unify the heart, mind, and spirit. Healing is a practice of everyday awareness to overcome the barriers between us, but it starts within. As within — so without.
If you’ve enjoyed this or other writings, consider supporting the work here: fleursauvage
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This post was previously published on Medium.
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Photo credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash