Anyone want a Chik-Fil-A gift card?

 As I've noted before, my family - apart from my brother & sister-in-law - are pretty much front-to-back hardshell Baptist of varying frequencies of actually going to church. Politically, they're also fairly conservative & old fashioned, if in an apathetic that once caused my brother's then-girlfriend to compare them to hobbits in the Shire. I am decidedly neither. 

  For the most part, we leave each other alone. They all know I'm a loony leftist, but only a couple know of my decidedly materialistic view of the world. As for the former, well, for the most part, they chalk it up to another instance of Matt just being weird, sensitive & overall naive. We've all accepted that. However, I don't tell people around here I'm not a believer. They're fine with me being a lost heathen but they've no truck with actual committed atheism.

 My mom knows. She doesn't like it at all but she knows. She's a lot more accepting of my idiosyncrasies these days, though she'll still yap about grandkids from time to time. I have one other cousin, though, who knows & that's because I let it slip. She & I were vary close growing up. & we've reconnected to a certain point over the past couple of years.

 Of course, we've gone on different paths since we were kids. She's been married 20-plus years & has three kids, two in college, & I have not. I went up to Memphis to visit her, & during a discussion on whether or not Jimmy Swaggart is a son of a bitch or not, I said I couldn't care less about "defending a member of my faith regardless" because I don't have one, & now that's all I hear. I know she means well & she takes being told to mind her own damn business well enough for life to go on.

 Anyhow, I said all that to say all this. My birthday was a week ago this past Friday. Of course, I hadn't seen her, but the entire family got together yesterday for an Easter gathering. Much food was eaten & the little kids had fun searching for eggs, & we had fun watching them. She gives me a birthday card with a Chik-Fil-A gift card in it.

 Now. I know this isn't her being provocative. She knows I'm pro-LGBT & I know she takes a "hate the sin, love the sinner" take on it, which she knows I think is bullshit. Still, I don't think she's given a thought to how much money the company gives anti-LGBT groups & just wants to share what most people consider good friend chicken. Thing is, the money's already spent so I don't feel I'd be "supporting" a company that's notoriously pro-bigotry. The other thing is, I can't stand friend chicken.

 Again, I don't think my cousin meant anything by this. I just thought it was funny.