To Those I May Have Offended on Thanksgiving,

I apologize if I came across as rude. I know I was not the nicest at all times to everyone. I want to preface this apology by saying that twenty one people in one house is a lot of people, and tensions do tend to run high, that is to say that coming into this Thanksgiving situation already had the high probability of someone getting offended at something.

I have been at college for a year and a half now, and I have been living on my own and growing. I am not the same little thing I was before I left. I am more independent, and with that I have gained a lot stronger of a personality (who even thought that was possible?) and I have also started to develop my own thoughts that may not perfectly align with yours. Now by saying this I am not saying that your beliefs are wrong and mine are write, what I am saying that you and I just now do not fully agree on many issues that came up. And so while you did try to enforce what you believed to be right on me, I would drop the subject after (hopefully) politely declining.

I have also gained a lot of confidence in myself. I have, like I said above, become more independent. I do not rely on people as much as I did last year when I had only been at college for three months. I am more likely to try and take control of a situation and take care of certain things myself. I am more likely to not ask for help unless the task does seem to require more than one person (thanks for the help with folding the fitted sheets, mom!) and if I do ask then I likely have pictured one particular way that the task can be done the most efficiently.

I also have gotten a lot more choosy over who can touch my body, that counting towards my hair as well. If someone touches me who I don’t want to that will be made clear. I know you may be family, and I know you may have hugged me just a few minutes ago, but that doesn’t mean I want you to now play with my hair or lean all over me or even try to help me spruce myself up.

I really do not mean to offend anyone. I really do not want to offend anyone. And so, I’m sorry if I did offend anyone.

Leah