The other day Julie had a playdate with a little girl who used to go to her preschool last year. We probably had not seen the little girl since last year, and on the way to the play date, Julie said "I remember her. She has really dark skin." I sucked in my breath a little, wondering where this conversation was going to go.The little girl is African American, but I have never really talked to Julie about different skin colors, figuring she'd notice people's differences at some point. "She's dark and she's beautiful just like Princess Tiana," Julie continued. (Princess Tiana is from the movie "Princess and the Frog," which Julie loves. She has all the Princess Tiana dolls and paraphernalia.) I didn't really say anything I just let Julie talk. "I have different skin. Mine is lighter, like Ariel's, but God loves us all the same even though we're different," she said. I smiled to myself and just said "You're right." I guess her teachers must have talked about that at school because I haven't really broached that topic yet. I wondered how I would talk to her about differences since I feel like this area is so homogenous. Growing up in Baltimore, I was used to all different types of people, and the color of a person's skin never phased me. I never gave skin color a second thought. Going to school near the city line, I was in class with kids of all different races, religions and enthnicities. I wouldn't change my upbringing one bit. When we first moved to Altoona, the first thing I noticed was how everyone looked the same. We were walking around the mall, and it actually seemed strange to me to not see anyone with a different skin color. And, having a child, I worried a little about Julie being sheltered and not being exposed to different races and cultures. The last thing I want is for her to be shocked or scared when she goes into the real world and realizes not everyone is like herself. But, I guess she'll find her way and Scott and I will have to keep stressing the things her teachers are already teaching. Everyone's different, but God loves us the same. Simple, but true.