There is a familiar saying that you can choose your friends, but not your family. For most of the year, that fact can feel like a blessing and a curse. During the holidays, when we squeeze around crowded tables, eat more than we should, and bring many personalities into one home, it should feel like a blessing.

Family members allow you to be yourself. You can be silly, serious, vulnerable, or anything in between. Even when disagreements happen, you should be able to count on your relatives to come together because of the experiences you share and the mutual respect you hold for one another. Families matter, and deserve to be protected.

Nothing threatens that sense of protection faster than........

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