What a day..........

It has been one long day. My step father went in for a routine procedure yesterday and wound up in open heart surgery today. Quadruple bypass. It was a 6 hour surgery that I am happy to say went well. It was odd to see my mother so frail and scared today. It broke my heart. He will recover fine I know, but it was still a bit scary.
I spent 6 hours with my family in the waiting room. I am the only liberal of my entire family. They are staunch, right wing,Republican,Christian, closed minded individuals, who think I am something of an abnormal human being. It all started with the Bible sitting on the table in the waiting area. I said, "Why is it only the Christian Bible that is available? My step brother says, "what else would there be?" I say oh, I don't know, what if someone is a Bhudist? Why is there no book here for their spiritual comfort? He says "there is only one book, and that is the Bible" Well, that started me off. For the next 6 hours there were many debates/arguments/people leaving the room/jokes etc. I could not believe the things they were saying or what their beliefs are. Unfuckingbelievable that I come from the same family. It was about 8 against one, but I held my own. When I said I was voting for Hilary, they all freaked out. Literally. They all agreed an intervention was in order for me.
But at the end of the day, we are still family. The conversations were to put to rest and we all went to dinner. Before dinner we all raised our glass in a toast to the very man who brought us together today, My stepfather, their dad, my mom's husband and my nieces grandfather. It's nice to know no matter what our beliefs or how wacky and fucked up they think I am and vice versa we all come together when it matters.
I feel a little emotional for my parents tonight. My stepfather with all the tubes and wires coming out of him, and for my mother who has to go home tonight without him.
It'a an uncomfortable feeling for me.
jb