"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change."

....Thich Nhat Hanh

This is often a difficult thing to do. If we apply ourselves to understanding our differences, we will all grow. By showing your friends and family that you care enough to try to understand them, they will in turn, try to understand your point of view. In the end we all respect each other for who we are and how we feel about  the issues.

As I'm sure you can tell by the last few post, it's been a weird week. But we are getting through it because we are trying to be understanding of each other. If you are having trouble, I hope these words can help you too.