"This one is new to me." ~ Sheetal Rajah Beginning this blog I couldn't think of anyone better to start with than my new friend, Sheetal. At age 38, Sheetal is a mother of three beautiful children; two twin girls and one chunky baby boy. Sheetal moved to America in the year 2004, the year her girls were born. While living in Atlanta, GA she struggled to conform to the American culture. When I asked her what she was most proud to be out of everything she replied simply, "A mother." With already having a small, but dysfunctional family back home in New Delhi, India, Sheetal found difficulty in making friends here in America. Not only does she face the obstacle of being accepted in America for being Indian, she also had difficulty fitting in while growing up in India for being Christian. With all of the imbalance and not really having acceptance in India or America, she finds peace and love within the walls of her home with her children. "My life had been filled with shame for things I did, and for things I did not do. My kids love me unconditionally, I can be who I am with them... Mostly. *chuckles a little*" within the walls of her home Sheetal can be an Indian woman who is Christian and living in America. Nothing less, nothing more. Me: "What's the most important thing you can teach your children?" Sheetal: "Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. And He will teach you all else, the right way. I didn't have that growing up I try to give that to my kids." Sheetal is teaching her children to love God, and in that they will love themselves for who they are, knowing that God created them the way they are for a reason. I then asked if she would teach the girls anything from their Indian culture, "I mean lets be honest, if I wanted them to be Indian I would have stayed and married someone there. I'm here now, God brought me here." Although she is allowing her children to grow in American culture, they are also learning some Indian values such as respect for elders, respecting themselves, and of course food. Sheetal: "I will also teach them henna." Me: "Sounds great, haha, you can teach me henna too." Sheetal is a great example of having to find self-love in order to get through obstacles. "God loves me. With all my baggage, my strength, my goofiness. If he chose to love me then how can I not feel a sense of dignity?" She has found a love in God and the people she has been encountering who have accepted her for who she is. She said to me, "You made me feel welcomed. We were brought together by God's purpose." Sheetal is proud to be Indian, American, Christian, and a mother of three. And I hope that we can all learn from her, and teach her as she continues to live her life in America so that she can be proud to be a friend as well. Thank you Sheetal for sharing your story, I'm proud of you.