Take your pick.
- The brother who was fired from his job as a prison guard for being too racist. He’s told me on more than one occasion that he’s smarter than any black person he’s ever met… he’s dropped out of college multiple times and now works for a convenience store along with “being his own boss” for MLM, selling shit door-to-door (yes, he will be trying to sell stuff at holiday gatherings).
- The aunt who’s sure that Obama was, in fact, the antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelations. She believes that queer people are all pedophiles who can convert children and others to “their ways.” Oddly though… not a Trump supporter, because DJT “let that beautiful daughter of his marry a Jew.”
- The cousin who is a flat earther and won’t shut up about how the Jews run everything with their power tied (somehow) directly to convincing everyone that the planet isn’t flat. His wife tried to get him to cut ties with the family because we don’t go to their church which is all of about 100 people and based out of a partially abandoned strip mall.
They’ve all been ostracized by family in the past, but keep getting invited to stuff.
Brazillian, but my uncle follows bolsonaro. 😭
Yo momma
Got to hang out with the hard-r racist uncle, my ‘pretends she a smart bible reader that hasn’t fallen for 4 different(in name) pyramid scams’ military sister, and my mentally disabled but violently aggressive brother that may have figured out that the cops will go easy on him every time.
These people wonder why I dread family gatherings and can’t function socially.
Be yourself, accept your family into your heart, and try to help them.
Show your racist uncle that whatever he dislikes about other races is also true for the supposed superior race, and that the things that make certain races seem inferior could be explained in other ways, like cultural issues (like racism).
Help your sister find passages in the Bible that speak to pyramid schemes, scams, gullibility, and remind her that her focus should not be on whatver these schemes are but on her Jesus and her salvation, and thank her for her service.
As much as you may hate dealing with people like this, I kinda think it’s the only way to help people. You have to build relationships with people that you dont agree with, search for good values in people and try to salvage them, pull them out of their tail spin.
My very imperfect father, whom I love and respect, has been a Trump supporter for a very long time and so any time a conversation can turn political, it does, and we all have to hear about the Democrat boogiemans and Trump the savior. As soon as it turns that way, even if I agree with his points or whatver, I just “oh shit here we go again” and what happens is, everyone in the room starts laughing because we all feel the same way. After a few of these I think he gets it, and I’ll talk with him about his ideas around Democrats and Trump, but in a curious way, and I’ll agree where we agree, and I’ll challenge him where I disagree. Sometimes we have to agree to disagree, I learn more about his perspective and we carry on.
Everyone on Earth is flawed and all we have is each other. I am so thankful for the people in my life that invested in me and I want to do the same for others.
Thank you for reading my TED talk.
I’m happy if the day ends with no violence or screaming where we pretend to be normal, and that’s not expected. It depends on if my brother is agitated that day and what shit that kicks off. I’m dipping the first elevated voice.
I feel you, but if you are only there when things are good, what’s the point?
My parents called tonight and asked if they could come on Thursday, I am NOT looking forward to seeing my hyper-christian Maga supporting white-Nationalist parents, and neither are my very sensible, LQTBQ+ supporting children and their partners, and spouses. Tomorrow, I have to call and tell them that any nonsense, or statements like the ones that were made at the last event we were at will be met by asking them to leave. Yay.
What are the chances that they will actually be respectful do you think. Might there be a case for simply not inviting them?
I think it’s kind of like a last chance situation. One last chance to be civil and behave. If they mess up they are never invoted again. But I might be wrong.
Fortunately, my family all died off in the pandemic. We were all liberal, and they’d be horrified by the state of things. I’m grateful they don’t have to experience any of this.
My mom would be devastated to see that they let the orange fucker do it again.
It’s my house. Everyone in the family knows I’ll shut that shit down, so I look forward to seeing everyone 😁
This is the 3rd year I will be completely alone.
You’re never all alone. We’re here you you
You can come to my house if you want
We’re having lasagna
Probably my girlfriend’s mother. Her family lives in a remote part of Y’allistan kinda country. According to my gf they used to be quite moderate and intelligent but since moving (for better land to run their family business) her mom has become very isolated and feeds off nothing but Fox/OANN and whatever shit YouTube recommends. She’s become such an abortion hating, trans hating, gay hating person in only the last three or four years that even my girlfriend says she barely recognizes her sometimes.
This is my first Thanksgiving with her family after 2 years together, and depending on how it goes it might be close to the last, we’re not sure.
If you haven’t already seen it, watch The Brainwashing of My Dad. It is a short documentary about this kind of experience that’s worth the quick watch
The best way to handle it is to laugh about it. She makes some remark about trans or gays, just laugh or smile as if it was a joke or as if she is drunk and stupid. :)
It feels much better for the soul. Don’t fight her. She will have those opinions either way.
Each person has their own development journey. You don’t blame a kid for throwing up on the floor. Just relax and accept whatever happens.
If you do this, you will grow as a person and realize there is another way to handle conflict that feels quite good. :)
Another way to handle it is the stoic stare. You just look at her quietly when she says things without saying anything. Just keep eye contact for an uncomfortable amount of time to make a point, making the others around the table notice the bad vibes and get uncomfortable. Personally I think this is harder to pull off in a setting with many people, so I prefer the first one.
Except, she is not a child. She is a grown person who votes and supports opinions that will get vulnerable people killed. This are both very childish ways of handling conflict.
stares blankly at you for an uncomfortable long time without speaking
