Sometimes, that’s not so easy, especially when you have loud-talking, one-view family members. I’ve gotten much better about it over the years. I just let it roll. Smile and nod, and then scream in the car. Just remember to ask Donnie to cover his ears first.

My dad openly does not like animals, and doesn’t understand why I prefer to have cats over children. So the last time my dad said to me, “Just get rid of them. Put them to sleep,” when I mentioned that my cats were driving me particularly nuts that day because Matt wasn’t home so they were felling a little frantic, I replied with “I can appreciate your point of view, Dad. In fact, I tend to tell people who complain about their kids that they should have swallowed.”

“What?”

“Go ask mom.”

He hasn’t said it to me since.

I can’t deal with elderly people who think they should automatically have everyone’s respect because they’ve managed to live for 7 or 8 decades. You can’t be respected if you don’t afford the same courtesy to others — regardless of their age. You’re not automatically wise because you’re 75. Experience and insight develop into wisdom. Not stalwart, antiquated opinions based on what you surmise, rather than facts.