letting people be who they are

and loving anyway

wearing this preemptive love sweatshirt as a reminder

In this midlife fallout, I’m spiraling into a deeper learning about what it means to let people simply be who they are — and not to take it personally, not to fight against WHAT IS. Maybe you’re in a similar spot, and perhaps the tip I’ll share in this post will support you in your upcoming holiday festivities.

There are many cases and relationship types where this applies, but I’ll use a general example here that’s sadly a common conversation-around-the-holiday-table sort of situation: Let’s say you have a parental figure whose politics you find to be closed-minded, ignorant, and hateful to many intentionally exploited or marginalized communities — maybe even ones in which you are a member. You have (understandably) taken that personally and have made it your mission to educate and to try to open said parent’s mind and heart. In all your unsuccessful attempts over the years, you’ve become increasingly offended, upset, angry, and/o…