My parents were philosophers. Not philosophers in the traditional sense of the word but probably in the same way that many of your parents were also. But we didn’t appreciate their wisdom until we got older when we realized that their simple teachings formed our values.

One of the things that my mama used to say was, “Everywhere you go, people are as nice to you as you are to them.” I’ve followed that value my whole life, and I hope that I’ve passed it on to my own kids. I have found this principle to be true everywhere I’ve ever been.Years ago when I first moved from Louisiana to Chicago, many people “warned” me that the “northerners” were not as friendly as the “southerners.” Had I listened to them and expected that to be true, that is exactly what I would have found. But instilled in me were my mama’s words, and to the contrary of what I had been warned, I found midwesterners to be warm, friendly, and open. When I moved to Idaho, I heard similar comments. Again, the people of Idaho couldn’t have been more welcoming.

That value has had special significance this week as I’ve been traveling in Mumbai, India. Once again, I find everyone here to be good, kind, friendly, hardworking people.

You’ve heard the expression, “It’s a small world.” Actually, the world is vast. But with the advancements in technology, we can fly halfway around the world in one day. We can talk in real time between continents through our computers with email, instant messaging, and skype. People all over the world are getting closer to each other – not just in terms of in distance, but in relationships.

I’ve included some photos of some of the new friends we have made here in Mumbai: Douglas, Jitu, Rashmi, and Bharat. And, I’m sure we’ll make more before we leave.