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John -

We just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, and
encourage you all to reconnect as best you can.

The last two years, family holidays were more complicated than they
already are – planning, feeding everyone, and being able to afford all the
food – on top of the threat of Covid-19.

Families were torn apart by the misinformation and the threats that some
believed were real, while others disregarded them. A lot of families had
empty seats and people struggling with the long-term effects of Covid.
It’s been a rough two years.

Not to mention the political climate has made for even steeper divides in
family ties as we drift further into partisanship and resentment for one
another.

So, I would ask you all to try and reconnect as best you can. Now, don’t
go into it sacrificing your personal morals or just ignoring the issue –
but try and understand one another as best you can. Listen to each other
when it is possible to do so.

You may find you have more in common than you want to believe – and there
are people who are profiting from your disagreements – know that much.

Most of us want the same thing, and this time of the year is a time to
celebrate that: if you’ve got food on the table, and family surrounding
you – you’re better off than a lot of people around the world, and sadly,
a lot of people in this country.

We all want to be able to pay our bills, enjoy a weekend off, and be able
to feed our kids and pets and enjoy our lives. We’re very simple creatures
when you step back and think on it for a second. And trying to understand
where someone is coming from, or what they believe is part of the reason
why they can’t do the things they want to for their family – that’s part
of listening.

They may have their facts wrong, and if you can point that out without
being aggressive or being accusational, then you can try it out. But I
would try to get to the core of these issues that seek to divide us if you
can. If you find yourself talking about these things, that is – if not,
enjoy the time with your loved ones. Don’t focus on the negative, as hard
as that can be, try and take the time to be appreciative for the people in
your life.

You can lose arguments and still be right in your own morals. But you
can’t take back cruel words or hurting someone for the sake of winning a
debate. And we all know that when a loved one’s time is up, those things
haunt us.

We’ve come a long way since the beginning of the pandemic, and we’ve been
through a lot. Count your blessings, eat your good food, and enjoy your
time off.

Much love to all of you and I hope you enjoy your holiday.

[ [link removed] ]Contribute a gift this holiday

- From Major Richard Ojeda USA (Ret.) and the entire No Dem Left Behind
team!




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