Democrat v. Republican

"Do--rooo--theeee," I can imagine my mother's friend Lillian saying to what my mother said as my mother shook her head in disbelief on what Lillian had said.

They had been friends since secretarial school into their deaths in their 70s. Lillian was a rabid Democrat and my mother an equally rabid Republican. They agreed on nothing political: abortion, feminism, Roosevelt (Franklin and Eleanor), Truman, Stevenson, McCarthy,Kennedy, etc. The closest Lillian would ever grant my mother was that as a Republican Eisenhower could have been worse, but she wished he'd stayed in the military. I don't think my mother ever gave an inch.

Lillian was a widow, my mother divorced. Lillian lived almost in Boston in an apartment. My mother loved living almost in the country on 14 acres of land in a big house.

Despite their differences, they were the best of friends, looking forward to many weekends away to Stage Neck Inn in Maine where they would enjoy the food. Sometimes for a longer weekend, they'd head to Portsmouth, NH to eat at the Blue Strawberry. They would often come back, sore from laughing at memories while making new ones.

I loved it watch them in action. They loved each other. Despite differences their basic values were identical: love, honesty, hard work, sharing, caring for others.

If only today's Democrats and Republicans could find common ground. One thing Lillian and my mother agreed on. They were Americans and they were friends. Would the party leaders think of themselves as Americans first and party members second. Friends might be pushing it.