I grew up in a home with parents who didn’t always agree, but did always respect each other.

My mom was a registered Republican, and my dad was a registered Democrat. They both felt voting was one of the great privileges and sacred responsibilities of living in our nation, so they exercised that right at every opportunity. However, every time an election rolled around my dad, who was an unapologetic wise guy (I once saw him shake Hubert Humphries’ hand and the count his fingers to make sure he got them all back), would say to mom, “Marlys we’re just going to go and cast our votes for the opposite party and cancel out each others votes, why don’t we stay home this time.” To which mom would reply, “Bob, I’m not that stupid.” Then dad would get that little smile on his face and the gleam in his eye, and mom would smile back defiantly.

This oft repeated drama taught me a number of things: Stand up for what you believe in, and make sure you vote even if you know the wise guy in the next booth is voting for the opposing candidate. The other thing about my parents, is that they were each willing to cross the aisle and vote for someone of the opposite party if they believed in what that candidate stood for. You see they voted based on their core values and beliefs, and one of the strongest of their core values was love for one another, even in the face of disagreements.

Both of my parents were good faithful Christian people. Yet they saw things differently.

The decline of civility and respect in public discourse and even in casual conversation diminishes us all. When our identity and sense of self is defined by the small parcel of things that divide us, then we are all losers.

I have people in my life that I cherish, that I respect a great deal, and whom I enjoy spending time with. They are each the wise guy in the next booth voting for the opposing candidate. The strength of those relationships is that there are far more, and more important things that unite us, than separate us. We have a mutual respect and choose not to let the minor differences destroy our relationships.

I choose to love and respect those who differ from me, because my life is sweeter and fuller because of them.