This I Believe
I believe in being inclusive. My late sister Juanita was a master at this. She was hard to get along with in other ways, but she didn’t give up on anyone because of what they believed in – even if it wasn’t what she believed.
I thought she was going to write me off when she found out that I voted in a particular way in 2004. She came close, but she didn’t. She kept on talking to me anyway.
I believe in being inclusive. I have friends who espouse things that I don’t believe in, but I won’t stop talking to them and liking them just for being themselves. I have friends who aren’t Christians, I have friends who are, I have friends who are atheist, I have friends who aren’t, I have friends who are going to leave it all to a green organization and friends who don’t put that very high on their list. I have friends who are of a different sexual persuasion and friends who are aren’t. I have friends who are married and friends who aren’t.
I believe in being inclusive. I won’t stop being a friend to someone simply because they aren’t like me. I’m well into my sixties now and have believed for many years that most people are likable and I haven’t had reason to change my mind. I believe in being inclusive.