Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together and be thankful. For many of us, it’s also extremely fraught with unresolved family issues. The differences between us, whether they’re political, culinary or semantic can come with us to the table – whether we like it or not.

Often, the results are explosive and exhausting. But being blood relatives doesn’t have to mean bloody battles.

Take for instance, the escalating public feud between the Cheney sisters. Liz Cheney, who is running to become the next senator of Wyoming, recently told “Fox News Sunday” that while she loves her openly gay and married sister Mary, the matter of same-sex marriage “is just an issue on which we disagree.”

Mary Cheney’s wife, Heather Poe, responded via Facebook posting that “Liz has been a guest in our home, has spent time and shared holidays with our children…To have her now say she doesn't support our right to marry is offensive to say the least.” Their father, Dick Cheney, has come out supporting Liz, but has called for compassion.

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Sounds good, right? Check your baggage at the door and serve up a big helping of compassion. But what if you’re the only one playing nice? What if your mother simply insists, over and over again, that you eat some of that turkey she “slaved over” even though she knows you’ve been a vegetarian for years? What if your knee-jerk lefty brother won’t stop trying to provoke your father over his conservative political beliefs and you’re caught in the middle -- again?

Good news! Advice Goddess Amy Alkon is here to help you navigate the rude people in your life and survive the holidays intact.

Guest:
Amy Alkon, Nationally Syndicated Advice Columnist; Author of “I See Rude People: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society” (McGraw-Hill) and the upcoming book, “Good Manners For Nice People Who Sometimes Say The Eff Word” (St. Martin's Press 2014)