Just yesterday, the day before Thanksgiving, my mom, brother, his girlfriend, and my boyfriend, shared a few bottles of wine and debated various topics and expresses our widely different opinions. Everyone was able to give each other a chance to talk, listen, and take what everyone was saying into consideration. It really was an impressive conversation to be a part of since I’ve recently been under the impression that people with differing opinions can’t have a civil conversation. The way media covers controversial topics and how society is handling them, could easily make one believe no progress can be made through conversations. Having this conversation with my friends and family made me really think of what I’ve experienced though and I’d like to thank those who have expressed themselves while keeping open to others opinions and emotions.

I would first like to thank my family. You’ve always supported me to vote for who I believe in and at least are proud of the fact that I participate in casting my vote to be a part of democracy. I really have never been on the same page as my close and extended family. Not that they are extremist on either end, but they may not be on the same page as I am. It gives me so much hope for the generations above me to have open views in the future and listen to the generations behind them. I really look up to and respect the opinions of my family members even if I don’t agree with them. But, the fact that we can open conversations and still hug each other and love each other at the end up the night, gives me a lot of hope.

Next, I would like to thank the friendships I have continued to have throughout the past year no matter what societal problems have occurred. Social media has had such a strong impact on how people express their views and continues to be an outlet for users. I have seen a lot of posts on Facebook and Twitter that I don’t agree with, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about the people I know well that are making the posts. The only thing I don’t tolerate is hateful speech to one another when discussing controversial topics. Luckily, a lot of the conversations I’ve seen between my friends have been respectful and continue to exemplify humanity. No matter what we are dealing with in the present, this continues to give me hope for the future.

I really respect the relationships I have with my friends and family. With Thanksgiving here, I can’t help but thinking about the conversations that could happen at the dinner table. This season has been so dramatic between the election, social media interactions, and hard conversations to have that I have really been able to appreciate my friends and family. I really do hope that as we move forward we will be able to continue these conversations and create an environment where everyone’s opinions are valued. Good luck to all the families this holiday season who may not agree with everything said at the dinner table and remember to count your blessings at the end of the night!