Opinion: Personal relationships are more important than politics

The presidential election is only a few days away, and that means tensions are rising high between Democrats and Republicans around the country. I am here to remind you that no matter what the outcome of the election is, do not allow party and personal relationships to suffer.I know of too many people who currently despise another person simply because of their political party affiliation. Dispersed throughout my social media are posts that are very incriminating toward people with certain political views. For example, I recently read a post that exclaimed all those who support Donald Trump should unfollow the poster immediately because the poster felt they were not worthy to read information about her daily life.Another post I recently came upon was denouncing all Hillary Clinton supporters as prisoners who should be in jail.My biggest question for all people who think this way is this: Will Clinton or Trump be there to answer a phone call when you need to reach for help? Will they be there to hold your hand when you’re sad, or celebrate your birthdays with you? Will either of them ever know you personally?The answer to all these is no. These presidential candidates may be running to represent the American people, but they are not our best friends, significant others or family. They are politicians.Your family and friends will be there with you through your difficult times. They will celebrate with you, laugh with you and cry with you. They will be there for you, and Trump and Clinton will never know you.My own family is half-Democratic, half-Republican. I have witnessed family ties being broken apart all because one offended the other politically. I have witnessed holiday gatherings being ruined by the simple mention of our current president.Because I and some other family members are constantly pushing toward a stronger connection through love and kindness, these tensions have shriveled in my family. I am forever grateful for that. We have turned from arguing and anger to understanding and even some humor. For example, if one person’s candidate wins, the opposing side has to wear apparel of the winning candidate to Thanksgiving.I encourage all of you to remember that personal relationships are much more important than this election. After Nov. 8, either Clinton or Trump will become our next commander-in-chief. One side will win, and one side will lose. However, the real loss will be the love and support of our loved ones if we continue this cycle of hatred. Love each other, respect each other and remember that if everyone had the same viewpoints as you, nobody would be unique.