Help! It seems like my best friend and I don’t see eye to eye about a lot of topics these days. I’ve known Jenny since middle school and I want to keep her in my life, but it’s been hard lately whenever we talk about what’s going on in the world. She tells me to not get the vaccine because “it will turn you into a zombie”. I thought that was strange because my family and I got vaccinated so we could stay healthy. We ended up getting in a huge fight at lunch when I told her I got my booster shot over the weekend with my dad and little brother. It was super awkward when I smiled at her after class; she looked right at me but kept walking. 

I called my grandpa to tell him about Jenny’s vaccine comment after school that day because it was really bothering me. He sighed loudly but said it’s the mature thing just to agree to disagree. I explained that she ignores me now when I pass her in the hallway. Even if I were to tell her I respect her point of view, she wouldn’t listen to me, so what was the point in that? He suggested I write a letter to get my feelings through. I was desperate to try anything at this point, so I thanked him and brainstormed in my head what I wanted to get off my chest. After hanging up the phone, I grabbed my history binder and ripped out two pages of blank paper. I knew I needed to word it carefully because I didn’t want to ruin the friendship over this issue.

Before first period the next morning, I slid the letter between the thin cracks of Jenny’s locker so she could open it at as soon as she saw it. I started off by writing how she is my closest friend and that our disagreement shouldn’t be an ultimate dealbreaker. I reminisced on the good times we’ve shared and how I didn’t want to lose out on more fun moments in the future. The last sentence of the letter stated that she should meet me in front of the junior parking lot to discuss everything in person. I waited anxiously all day wondering if she cared enough to want to show up at the designated time. Hours later, to my surprise, Jenny was standing at the lot with an apologetic look on her face. I walked over slowly, and we hugged in silence before each tearing up a little. She was the one to talk first. I was grateful for that because I was too emotional to say anything yet.

Jenny said she was embarrassed for her reaction when hearing about my viewpoint. She admitted that her parents openly speak to her about the dangers of what’s in the vaccine, so she felt strongly about it when I voiced my opposite perspective. We vented about this back and forth until we started laughing over how silly it was… of course we would stay friends! Having different opinions is no reason to throw away the relationship we have worked hard to build and protect over the years. 

I invited Jenny over to my house for dinner next week so we can mend any tension that may still remain under the surface. I warned my mom and dad to not mention political chatter of any kind. Not only are they going to honor that request, but they’ll be throwing us a game night to remind us why it’s important to support one another and not judge. They were proud of me for being so open-minded, saying it’s a trait that will help navigate my adult life because we all run into people who don’t agree with us. If we were to shut out anyone who didn’t match our thinking 100%, we would miss out on some pretty great connections. Anyway, I’m looking forward to game night between my parents versus Jenny and me. I’m proud to say I know we’ll be rooting each other on in the game, and in life.