The holidays are bringing dread of family gatherings to many, mirroring deep schisms in our country. We fear that politics and prejudice will raise their ugly heads at dinner — resulting in hurt feelings and ramping up to walk-outs or even violence. It’s time to reinstate the ground rules of avoiding religion, name-calling and politics for the duration of our gatherings.
You may ask what else we could talk about while these rules are in place. Let’s express individual gratitude for any blessings received. Let’s share wonderful memories or work on making some new ones. Let’s mirror the civility, respect and love we’d like to see around us. Let’s be the people we enjoy being around. Let’s become a loving human family again.
— Mary Hansen, Northbrook
