I will love my kids no matter what. At least I like to believe unconditional love is real, you know? Sure, I'll be mindful of little signals here and there, and if I see them deviate, I will try to direct the kids back to the proper path they have been taught to follow, but if… if the unconscionable happens and my kids turn out to be… I can't even bring myself to write it… IF THEY TURN OUT TO BE REPUBLICANS--
I will still love them.
First, I will be shocked.
Then: denial. My kids cannot be Republicans! It's a phase. There's a way back!
Then: anger. They're just doing it to get to me!
Then: bargaining. Maybe I'll go to your political event if you go to mine?
Then there will be guilt. Maybe I did something wrong? If I had only spent more time with them, they would have been Liberal activists by now. I pushed them to the dark side!!! What have I done???
And in the end… acceptance. And hopefully, unconditional love.
My dad is a right-winger (in Israel), and maybe he's disappointed with me going all the way to the other side. But truth is, I grew up watching him question the media and politicians, and even though we ended up on different sides of politics, it's his guidance that has made me question the so-called truisms of the world.
He tried to change me, probably hoping I was just going through a phase, but in the end, acceptance. And maybe even respect. Sure, some of my dad's opinions make me want to tear my remaining hair out, and the same is probably true for him, but as long as we don't tear each other's hair out, that's fine.
Here's a hilarious politics ad from Carl Sciortino, Jr., who recently ran for Congress in Massachusetts (he didn't win). In the ad, Carl is "coming out" to his Tea Party dad. For the second time in his life:
