Hey, family. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen some of you guys! This is a lot weirder to write than I anticipated it would be, but it needs to be said, since holiday family gatherings are on the horizon.
I know that we’re all going to have different views on different things. While we may have to agree to disagree on social issues, like Caitlyn Jenner, the legalization of gay marriage, who our President should be, and tattoos in the workplace, I want you to know that I respect your opinion even if I do not share that opinion.
All I ask is that we can communicate respectfully and intellectually about these matters if they come up around the dinner table. I will always stand by my decision that you should not be calling Caitlyn Jenner by the name “Bruce” or, even worse, “it.” She is a person. She.
I will always stand by my decision that the legalization of gay marriage was the most beautiful thing to happen to North Carolina in a long time, no matter how many people had heart attacks and threatened to set themselves on fire over it. (Hardly anybody really did.)
I will stand by my decision to study abroad for as long as possible if Donald Trump is elected President. I will FaceTime y’all for holidays and I will send postcards, but I will not be in the States until he’s out of office… Sorry.
I will stand by my decision that tattoos have NOTHING to do with a person’s ability to work, their intelligence, or their moral standards. Tattoos are a beautiful means of expressing self-confidence, self-love, and pure artistry. Would you suddenly think that I was stupid if I told you that I had a tattoo that you simply couldn’t see?
Regardless of our differences, we are family. That doesn’t mean that we have to be the same in every way.
Being family simply means that we are connected. We will dine together, we will invite each other to weddings, we will hug each other at funerals, we will bring gifts to birthday parties, and we will, sometimes, disagree. I just hope that even in the midst of our disagreements, we will remember that we love each other. And loving each other isn’t about agreement, it’s about respect. I want you to know that I am thankful for you. I value your opinion, even if it isn’t the same as mine, and I love you to the moon and back no matter what.
So, this holiday season, family, I hope that we can have some discussions over our meals. Between helpings of sweet potato casserole and ham, I want you to tell me why you think Caitlyn Jenner shouldn’t have gotten the Woman of the Year Award from Glamour, and I’ll put down my fork tell you why I’m overjoyed to be attending the wedding of two male friends over my winter break. Even though you won’t change my opinions–and I probably won’t change yours–I do want to hear your side. I want us to talk, not fight.
Unless you want to start a food fight.
Because then, you’re going down.
Love always,
Your incredibly opinionated, incredibly valid, college student