© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Alla Famiglia, Sometimes

 

I have just returned from the annual family reunion. Gathered from eight states, we played, laughed, told family stories to the youngest members of our tribe and yet something…. 

 

Something waited, stalking, quietly watching from the tree line. It waited until ten minutes before I left. My cousin said, “I love Trump.” There it was, finally, spoken out loud. In a way it was a relief. 

“I know, I don’t.” She looked at me, “I know, I do”. 

She stepped into “the house divided” and wanted to talk. I could have pounced on her and her reasons, ripped them apart with sharpened teeth and rent the entire Trump conversation to tatters and bits. 

I did not. 

“I love you no matter,” I said. She said, “I love you too”. 

In that moment, we chose love and family.  

I am not a Trump fan -- I take every opportunity to debunk the ideology. However, I chose to leave the bait on the hook and walk away. I don’t always do this, even with family. But today was the annual reunion, and I chose peace over a house divided.  

I knew the conversation would change nothing -- it could only hurt. It would further divide a family already born of division.  

For one day, I could leave Trump at the gate. Today was about family. We chose peace. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” -- powerful words.  

It was hard to be silent. It was hard to walk away, yet I could hear my grandmother whisper – “Alla Famiglia, Louisett.” 

I’mLou Ness, and that’s my perspective. 

Related Stories