Different Levels of COVID Caution? There's a Civil Way to Handle That, Too.

Hi, Mildred!

Thank you for your wonderful and very kind E-vite for your annual gala!

As you may know, we have chosen not to be vaccinated, and so must regretfully decline your invitation to Thanksgiving dinner. We will be unable to comply with the guidelines you've set out for your guests. We're all in different places in this strange time, and please know that we understand and accept your position, and wouldn't dream of questioning your right to put in place the boundaries that you see fit.

Rather than going through the upsetting and ultimately futile exercise of having each of us reiterate our strongly held views on the subject of COVID vaccines, let's leave it with our deep regret that we won't see you this holiday -- and let's also leave it in the confidence that we will find a way to be together again soon!

Much love to all of you, and a very Happy Thanksgiving,

Boopsie and Howard.

P.S. What a great win for your Utes on Saturday! We thought of you, of course!

A friend whose family is unvaxxed asked for help composing an email to her cousin — who is requiring folks to be vaxxed to attend her traditional Thanksgiving gathering.

I offered what you see above, and my friend sent it off verbatim last week. Today, she received a very gracious reply. I now have permission to share the letter I wrote (with the names changed).

(I note that this was a new use for my freelance skills, though my only requested compensation was a Double Gulp.)

We can hold our ground and still be civil. We can be both kind and resolved to stick to whatever health protocols comfort us. We can be generous, even in our fear, even in our disappointment, even in our bewilderment and heartache at other's choices.