My dear friend is a repub. But

[tishaLA]

Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2026, 02:34 PM - Edit history (2)

Addendum: she's out of surgery and doing.well . Her daughter told me she'd be hospitalized for a week or so. I want to thank everyone for your thoughtfulness and kindness. This really is a remarkable community. Much love.

She's also the sweetest woman I know, someone who unquestionably helps the homeless, and just lost her husband of 60 years a couple weeks ago. Her name is Faustina (or Tina if you prefer) and at 80 years old she's more loving towards LGBTQ+ people than most folks less than half her age

Today her daughter called me to let me know that she's having brain surgery and I never do this but I'm just devastated, so I'm hoping the DU community night extend their thought and/or prayers to her.

Gracias.

[LuckyCharms]

1. Good wishes and prayers for Tina...

and for you.

[essaynnc]

2. My thoughts too....

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Tina. And Peace to you.

[Biophilic]

3. Best wishes for a successful surgery.

[SheltieLover]

4. Healing vibes on the way to her.

[wyn borkins]

5. Hello My Dear Faustina

Wishing only the best for you this day and for each day forward

May experience guide your surgical staff to a most-successful outcome

And may you gather healing thoughts from your friends and from all of us here

Sincerely, Wyn

[pdxflyboy]

6. Prayers and healing vibes to Faustina.

n/t

[Grim Chieftain]

7. Thoughts, prayers and good wishes to Faustina

Hoping for a positive outcome.

[debm55]

8. Send my prayers to Tina,

[IbogaProject]

9. Best wishes

And I hoping all that sweet kindness stays while her GOP affiliation gets "cut out". But seriously wishing the best for your friend.

[tishaLA]

12. I can't tell you how much I've tried

To talk about affirmative action in college admissions and similar things. Or how objectionable how much she finds *Latino " rather than "Hispanic " or "Native American " rather than "Indian."

But as much as she thinks Latinos and African Americans are somehow getting over on white and Asian people (who she's insistent are getting screwed over in college admissions x), she still has extraordinary kindness toward them individually. It's a strange dichotomy, but I've known and loved her since she was 40, so those intervening years haven't made me love her less.

[TommyT139]

26. Sounds like she has internalized

...some cultural baggage about abstract categories, yet when there is an actual person in front of her, or under discussion, she does the right thing.

So the dichotomy seems like it's a matter of abstract versus example, categories versus compassion. There are plenty of other people who have this the wrong way around, who claim to "love their neighbor," but call the cops on a Black teenager walking down their street.

May the true neighborliness she has shown to others come back to her multiplied, not as a reward or repayment, but because that is the world she has helped create.

[niyad]

10. Holding Tina and Tisha and all their loved ones in light and love.

Vibes for best possible outcome.

Please keep us posted. Your DU family is here for you. Lean as hard as you need.

[LuvLoogie]

11. May skill, love, and faith see her through and keep her well.

[MIButterfly]

13. I will keep a good thought for the best possible outcome for Faustina

I hope the surgery goes well and she has a speedy recovery. In the meantime, take care of yourself. You are a good friend.

Pease keep us posted.

All my best,
MIButterfly

[ballardgirl]

14. I had open brain surgery two years ago

and it was ok. It's harder for us older folks but very often it is not the open/invasive kind. The less time spent under the easier is the recovery.

[tishaLA]

15. Thank you for this reassuring message

It will help me, at least temporarily, cope. I should have also said we're 3000 miles apart so I can't even help soothe her or or, more importantly, make her laugh, which her kids think is my best asset. So sarcastic texts and self-deprecating zooms are my immediate future.

[Moostache]

16. Best thoughts and well wishes to your friend and to you.

May the friendships you make
Be those which endure,
And all of your grey clouds
Be small ones for sure.

A less famous verse to be sure, but a sentiment I wish for both you and your friend in times such as these.
May you both receive the care and support you need and may the results be such that you meet again in peace to share time and friendship once again.

[LA Blue Bengal]

17. Sending good vibes and best wishes for a speedy recovery

[JMCKUSICK]

18. May she survive with that sweetness intact, God Speed.

[Picaro]

19. May you sail through this procedure Faustina

[AllaN01Bear]

20. done.

[Fil1957]

21. Too often we all get caught up in the political issues of the day. And too often we forget there are actually

some Republicans who are good people. We must not forget that. May your friend have a successful surgery and a quick recovery.

[mountain grammy]

22. All the best to your friend Tina..

Hope the surgery and recovery all go well!.

[highplainsdem]

23. Prayers and healing vibes for her.

We all need to keep in mind that there are some Republicans who are very good people (including my Republican relatives). Their political views have usually been shaped by very early influences (family, religion) or too much current brainwashing by RW media, but if you keep talking to them, you can usually get them to open their minds a bit. (If they're good people. The Republicans who aren't good people are pretty hopeless.)

Surgery always sounds scary, but medical care is so good now. Wishing Tina a very quick recovery.

[tishaLA]

24. Yes. It used to infuriate me that she was a repub

But I still loved her. So I had to be able to find a space in my heart that allowed that ---;and trust me I'm way more vocal about how fucked up her politics are because she's in FL and I'm in California -- and I had to allow myself to allow the things I found so objectionable as something I could ignore, which is the same, I'd imagine, she had to do with me when I was bitching about whatshisname and talking about their racism. And I didn't try to moderate my opinions, but she listened quietly. I might have changed her mind about some things but probably wasn't so successful at changing her opinion because I can be rather aggressive.

No matter. We still ended each conversation still loving each other. In fact loving her more because she was willing, disagree or agree, to hear me out.

Sorry. Didn't mean to write an essay.

[electric_blue68]

25. May she have a safe successful surgery, and a very good recovery!

to you.

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

27. There are 2 families that have taken care of me ...

and all my property for the past 12 years. One is Rep., one Dem.; and I have known and loved both for 20+ years. They treat me as if I were their mother.
They do this for me while doing the same for their own parents who are my age or older - their own children have grown up, are college grads, with responsible jobs' and have families of their own and they now assist in my care as they do their own grandparents.
The grown-ups in the R family all have responsible jobs out-side the home; when they get home, there are gardens to tend, animals to feed, water; fields of hay to tend, cut and store. During winter, day or night, all the males plow snow, cut and removed trees that have blocked our area roads.
They are working or sleeping when news is on TV; but do listen to the radio while at work or on the road - the only station we have here is Sinclair. What does that tell you?

The D family are so loving with never an unkind word re: anyone, D or R. They became guardians to a minor child who was adopted by a single mother (distant relative of mine) who died young. The child, now a coll. grad. with a responsible job, calls me, Grandmother. As a lib. D, she is the ONLY one with whom I discuss politics on my level but she has moved away due to her work.

My Prayer: Almighty God, Thank you for bringing DU and all these loving loving people into my life. Please help me change what I can; accept what I can't change and the wisdom to know the difference.
Please hold Tina and tisha (the friend who loves her without bias) in Your Hand during this troubling time. Amen.

Note: Due to exhaustion, this was supposed to be a point and click (recs only) day for me (took over an hour to type) but I could not let this post pass without ...