I am very lucky to come from a big, close, loving family. My grandparents have lived two streets down from me for my whole life, and I grew up around their kitchen table, with lively discussions about everything under the sun. As I’ve gotten older, those discussions have circled back to politics more and more, and my differences from my family have become more and more apparent.

When I was in high school I started watching the news and I became infatuated with history, and the more I learned, the more I realized that I disagreed with my family on a lot of levels. Coming from a conservative family, I began to speak up with different points of view at the kitchen table, and was met with some pretty staunch opposition, which hasn’t changed to this day. I still go up to my grandparents, sit around the kitchen table, and argue. We argue and we try to reason and we all have facts and figures to back ourselves up, and we roll our eyes and we get so frustrated with each other. I get so angry sometimes that I just want to scream. We all hold onto this hope that something we say will change someone’s mind, but we all know that stubbornness is genetic and no one will back down.

So then, we eat pie. Or we read the local newspaper. Or we make fun of my grandma’s celebrity magazines, or more often than not, we just start laughing uncontrollably while my grandpa rolls his eyes, because we all know that there is nothing more important than each other. As much as I disagree with things that are said at that table, I love my family, and they have taught me everything I know. It is so easy to watch the TV and get so angry. This is especially easy when you are surrounded by people who agree with you. I have some amazing friends who keep up on current events with me and who share a lot of similar opinions, and I love talking to them about things and venting my frustrations at the general state ofour country right now (see- Donald Trump). Oftentimes we surround ourselves with people who agree with us, people who understand our political views. Because of this we unintentionally alienate ourselves from people with differing viewpoints, which leads to more animosity and more disagreements.

I hate that I disagree with my family, but at the same time, it is something I am thankful for. I might not always be on the same page as them, but I am able to see that just because our opinions don’t match up doesn’t mean they’re bad people. My grandpa’s biggest argument is always that he wants the world to be better for me. He’s worried about his grandkids, and so he’s aligning with the party that he thinks will benefit us the most. Having a family with different political views has showed me just that, that their views are different from mine, but not necessarily wrong. I have learned why they support the laws and policies that they do, and while I do not always agree, I am able to see the merit behind these ideas. Instead of seeing politics (and the world) as black and white, right or wrong, I see both sides. I still stand by my choices and opinions, but I know that they aren’t perfect, just as opposing opinions aren’t perfect.

I am blessed to have grown up around a kitchen table where big ideas are discussed every day, where my opinions are challenged and where I can challenge other’s opinions. No matter how much we disagree, we are always willing to talk, and I am always encouraged to share my ideas. I am also blessed to know that no matter what I say or what I believe, at the end of the day our political views don’t define who we are as people. The people around that table are my role models. I might disagree with most of their political views, but they are the best people I know, and they have taught me that every argument has a basis, that every person is entitled to their opinions, and that who you vote for doesn’t define who you are. If that's not what America is about, what is?