July 8--Patient or Petty?

Just be quiet and patient. Let evil and unpleasantness pass quietly over you. Do not try to avoid them. On the contrary, observe them carefully. Let active understanding take the place of reflex irritation, and you will grow out of your trouble. Men can achieve greatness only by surmounting their own littleness. 
--Franz Kafka

    We are going to visit my husband's family. My husband and I don't fit into the religious and political molds the rest of his family have created for themselves. As a result, we generally avoid talking about such things. Our philosophical differences don't matter, really, as they are family and we love them. We could get little, petty and argumentative, but it would serve no purpose other than to display our littleness. Understanding and patience will make for a much nicer visit. 

    The same is true for my brother. When he goes off on a political rant, I chant to myself, "I love him so much, just listen." For folks at opposite ends of a belief spectrum, there is no possibility of changing minds, and it only displays littleness in attempting to do so. 

    Choosing peace over being right (whatever that is),

        Leta