My parents were married shortly after they became legal adults. No, my Mom wasn't pregnant at the time. Apparently, they had such a strong charisma towards one another that to quietly elope, seemed like the right thing to do. Growing up with young parents was pretty cool. They were a hip, extremely attractive & highly intellectual couple.

Most of their friends were also young & many were from diverse cultures. The numerous home parties my parents hosted were fun, sophisticated & "groovy". I don't think they missed a syncopated beat!

As a result of being exposed to people from various races, I quickly became enthralled with the inherit allure of cultural diversity. I believe that it's so essential to teach your children to be proud of their own heritage while learning about & appreciating others' differences. Below are seven opps to become acquainted with other cultures.

1. Prepare a foreign-flavored recipe - Experiencing exotic tastes & aromas can mentally carry you away to far away places. Shopping in the foreign food grocery aisle or in a local ethnic market can teach you something about culture & cuisine.

2. Dine at a restaurant outside of your comfort zone - Considering dining at an eating establishment you've never tried before? That could be a good thing especially if the menu includes items that are new to you. Inquire with the maitre'd, manager or wait staff about dishes that best reflect their flavor.

3. Learn a foreign language - Before my daughter & I traveled to Europe in the 90s, I spent months attempting to get a grasp on German & Italian. Since part of my paternal heritage is French & I studied for two years in high school, I felt I only needed an impromptu refresher. Not true at all, unless my goal was to just utter a few words such as, "Bonjour", "Je suit Tamra" or "Merci Beaucoup". Self-instruction from a book just didn't do the job for me. One day I will get serious & become fluent in another language other than English. "I think I can, I know I can!"€¦ & so can you.

4. Participate in a Foreign Exchange Program - Inviting an exchange student into your home is very benevolent & gracious. Allowing yourself or your children to do the same must be a chance of a lifetime. If the door does open in that way, step through it. The sheer knowledge & beauty on the other side has to be amazing.

5. Volunteer Overseas - Signing-up to work outside the U.S. for a week at a time is very appealing to me. It's not a long period of time to be away from your home & loved-ones. Not only will you come home feeling blessed, but you'll also leave many blessings behind because your caring nature was there.

6. Teach English as a 2nd Language - If you have the gift of linguistics & great people skills, this could be a "calling" for you. To teach a child or adult to understand & speak a language that is foreign to them, is wonderful. Take advantage of this task if it just makes sense to do so.

7. Mingle with people from another race - Even though you may reside in an area where your skin-tone & culture only exists, step outside of it for a bit. No need to be obnoxious about your differences. Again, embrace your diversity. It's a beautiful thing!

To sum it up, I am so grateful that my extended & immediate family members know what it means to be culturally aware & astute. I'm certain that we will continue to pass those values onto our grands & great-grands. I feel so very, very fortunate!!

www.7hope.net makes available to its members hundreds of culturally diverse recipes. Oh how delish!