<p>I wrote the following essay in response to option #5, the diversity prompt. I decided to write about being raised by a Catholic mother and Muslim father. I am not quite finished yet ( I still have around 100 words to spare) so there is plenty of room for revision. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.</p>
<pre><code>At six-oclock in the morning, when I am barely awake and still cursing my alarm clock, my father occupies an island of calm in the predawn darkness. I have always wanted to take his picture there in the dimness of the morning, when he stands in the middle of the living room , slowly bowing and kneeling as though in the presence of royalty, his lips moving in silent lamentation. To the uninformed observer it would seem as though my father was engaged in some form of meditation. In reality he is performing Fajr, the Morning Prayer.
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<p>Every so often I will lie in bed, pondering how I would differ as a person if I had not lived in a certain place or met a certain individual. Lately, I have been mulling over the personal repercussions of having parents that share the same faith. In hindsight I am thankful for my very unique upbringing. Growing up with a Catholic mother and Muslim father has had a positive effect on my world view.
When I was younger I really did not give much thought to the fact that I had parents of two different faiths. My young mind simplified it thus: mom prays to a different big guy in the sky than dad (as you can see I was not much of a theologian at the time). My young mind was satisfied and did not venture any further. I really felt no need for further inquiry. I am thankful that my parent chose to place emphasis on values instead of religious ideology. As I grew older and began to view the world through ever more skeptical eyes I began to place more value on my upbringing.
My experience growing up in multi-faith family has made me much more perceptive to views that differ from my own. I have come to the conclusion that we are all searching for truth. Each individual takes a different path. We stumble upon differing ideas on our way to the destination. Instead of clutching our truth to our chest and shouting down all those who disagree we should strive to comprehend others. We live in fear of what we dont know, of what we think we know, but we know that we do not know at all.</p>