Last month, we shared the story of meeting and interviewing influencer Landon Bryant. This month, our travel feature shares more about his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi.

I was watching one of Landon’s “Let’s Discuss” videos the other day—you know, the ones where he sits with his sweet Southern drawl and calmly addresses life’s biggest debates… like whether sugar belongs in cornbread. (Bless it, I still don’t know why everyone doesn’t agree with my momma.) But what got me thinking wasn’t so much the cornbread itself, but the kindness in the conversation. The way he says, “Now listen, we don’t have to agree, but we can be nice about it.”

Be nice about it. Imagine that.

Y’all, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard folks get all worked up over things big and small—whether it’s politics, preferences, or how early is too early to start decorating for Christmas. (This one hits close to home in our family.) But somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing “different” with “wrong.” And that’s a shame.

Because the truth is, we are different. God made us that way. Just like a good stew needs more than potatoes, the world needs more than one flavor of people. And while some folks might be spicier than others—and yes, some might just plain get on our nerves—that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of kindness.

Kindness doesn’t mean we have to agree. It means we care enough to listen. It means we show grace, even when we don’t understand. It means we remember that every person we meet is someone’s baby, someone’s friend, and most importantly—someone God created and loves. It means we don’t have to berate people or call them ugly names in order to make ourselves feel better.

Kinda like a momma who loves all her kids—even the one who can push her buttons so well, he could do it blindfolded.

So maybe next time we come across someone who thinks differently than we do, we can take a breath. Maybe even smile. And, remember: it’s okay to disagree… just be nice about it.

We don’t have to all eat the same kind of cornbread to sit at the same table.

Love y’all,