Hello, I am Serenity.  I was brought up in a big and busy city surrounded by people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures.  When I was young, I was lucky enough to have two special friends, we spent lots of time together and in many ways were very similar.  We loved trampolining and riding our bikes and we would often visit each other’s houses, sometimes staying for tea and occasionally having a sleepover.  I started to recognise that although we had many things in common, there were also some ways that our families and lives were a bit different.  Ella always looked forward to Friday nights because this was a special time for her and her family, it is called ‘Sabbat.’   Ella and her family got together for a special meal and she told us that her mum and dad let her stay up late.  When I was in year 4, my friend Ethan’s family invited me to a party for their babies’ baptism. Their friends and family gathered at Church for the special ceremony.  Ethan said that his baby brother was being welcomed into the Church. The special Friday nights and Saturdays for Ella, and the Baptism ceremony held by Ethan’s family were not something that I had experienced with my family.  

As I grew older, I learnt more about Judaism and Christianity, the religions that Ella and Ethan followed, and began to explore and find out more about cultures of people around me. As I moved through life, I made new friends and learnt about the faiths that were important to them, such as Islam and Sikhism.  I was always really interested in finding out about the ways that people in the different communities live so asked questions and spoke to different people whenever I could. 

My childhood friends are still my friends today, the fact that our beliefs and lives are different just makes things more interesting.

Our world is a big one and it is filled with many people who all have their own beliefs, values, and ideas about how they should live their lives.  Living and working together can be difficult at times.  I always try to show respect, tolerance, and sensitivity, believing that our world would be a better place if we were all able to recognise and accept our differences.  I’m here to help you to learn more about some of the religions of people living in and around our city.  Join me and your classmates to do this. Life is not a solo journey, we need to practice patience, respect, and cooperation, because we are all in this together!