Was there an instance where you had an empathetic breakthrough; where you were able to overcome

[hlthe2b]

3. Past three years with a conservative friend of mine whose husband was dying of cancer

She is not a bad person, but we do not talk politics. She is defensive as hell about so many subjects, including religion, that our conversations are pretty much limited to our dogs. But I was there throughout her husband's hellacious last 18 months and now that she's had to have an exceedingly difficult knee replacement with a rough recovery, given her not insignificant stress weight gain.

Fortunately, she is not anti-science, is well-educated, and would never counter the facts about COVID-19 nor deny the need for masking and vaccines, having been vaccinated herself as soon as she qualified.

Still, she has a kneejerk need to defend so much of her Texas conservative roots that it is not easy sometimes--especially since many that join us at the community dog park, are as liberal or perhaps more so than me! I see the look on her face when they start conversations about issues that make her uncomfortable, but I'm sufficiently polite not to join in in her presence.

She can be a good and giving person. Her religious beliefs are sincere. But damn her defense of conservative politics is so incongruous to me as to be a "mystery of life."