Families

My 5 siblings and I meet every week on the Zoom platform for an hour.

Even though we are physically scattered throughout the continental USA, it is as if we are all in one big room and, with not much effort, able to touch one another. It is a wonderful way to keep up to date.

We are able to mention matters small (a case of shingles) and not so small (being on a list for a double lung transplant).

Although we were all raised similarly, we are not all of one accord when it comes to politics.

We assiduously avoid political discussion because we are aware of our differences and wish to avoid broaching topics when we know more heat than light will be generated.

We are not unique in this regard.

I know of several others who think differently from close friends and families, who are uncertain how to navigate potentially treacherous waters quadrennially.

We are past the point of convincing one another of the correctness of our respective thinking.

When November 6 rolls around we will hopefully still be able to converse on other matters and retain some affection for one another.

When my parents passed, decades ago, we siblings did not quarrel.

For one thing, the estate my parents left was not that large, and they (perhaps wisely) chose to divide their assets between an institution and their offspring.