If you don't like spats, don't start one.

Ok, here are just two examples that provide a sample of what I mean.

Two weeks ago I put out a request for a 1-word description of me, which I needed for a questionnaire. You wrote that mom would call me fussy and then you said "princess dry me". First of all, I've never heard mom call me fussy and I don't believe you have the right to speak for her. Secondly, whatever possessed you bring up the dry-me thing? That was inappropriate. Facebook is not a private forum & that comment went out to people I see every day and to friends that I work with! I was so embarrassed!! How do you think it felt to have someone ask me about "this dry-me thing?" It escapes me how could you have thought that would be acceptable.

This is just one of a few instances where I was getting a string of positive comments and you followed up with something inappropriate and derogatory. It felt like you were slapping me in the face to make sure I didn't think to well of myself.

When I posted the NPR article about the rural medical camp I really DID just want to know if they have that problem in places with government run medicine. I have fb friends living in countries like Canada, France, Germany & the UK and hoped to attract their input. And I did get an answer to that question, actually. As I read the comments you left it became obvious that you had not even listened to / read the article!

I don't live in an echo-chamber of liberal politics and new-thought Christianity out here. I have some very close friends who are politically conservative and practicing different forms of Christianity or other religions than I do. And it's not that we "agree to disagree" or avoid certain topics. No, we embrace those differences and have a respectful exchange of ideas. I value how they see things different from me and receive the same respect. It has consistently been my experience that differences of opinion matter far less than comportment. Respect, kindness & tolerance frame my friendships, not opinions.

I know in the past that I have sent emails regarding religion and politics which endeavored to push my opinion upon you & disregarded your thoughts and experience. I was wrong to be so arrogant about what I think and truly regret having done this. So, for the past 2 years I've made every effort to move past how we are different but to honor your opinions and focus on how we're the same.

But, I feel alone in this effort. You always seem to be preaching at me or trying to change my mind. You seem to always be aiming to put me down - and I don't think you see it because when you say things that put me down you laugh like you think it's funny! It's not funny! I've never laughed!

Well, that's all I got. I'm on empty.

sisters...

I thought my facebook page was my face book page. What I didn't realize was that these snippets I make become pieces of other people's pages. And, whatever shows up in someone else's space they feel the right to decorate in a manner of their own choosing. Unfortunately, the pieces that I made co me back to me covered with the graffiti of others' ideas. mm.

And all this to leave me wondering why, oh why, my sister is my sister. Why god did two people so radically different choose to be born from the same womb? I keep thinking that if somehow I could figure out the right words, figure out why someone like this is in my life, things would finally go smoothly.

Part of me, the part that's pretty tired of her being who she is and not who I think I should have in my life as a 'sister', wants to attack.

"where is this Christianity you keep talking about? I've been watching your actions for the past few years now and I just don't see it. You say Jesus is at the wheel - but who's the monkey at the keyboard?"

But I can't do that. She will only be who she has been created to be. I keep coming back to the notion that my siblings are in my life so that I might learn unconditional love. I don't get to decide who they should be and how they should act before I decide to show them love.