It could be your health, watching your children grow and reach their potential or the fun times you had with friends when you were young.

There are many things we experience as we age that we wish we could do again.

An important one for me was always being around my extended family during the holidays. There was nothing like Thanksgiving — always at my grandmother’s tiny home in Rock Creek — because it was the one time of year when most of us were together in one place.

Later, after my grandmother died, the annual feast was at my parents’ home. Then, after a family of our own, I got to have two Thanksgivings — one with my family and another hosted by my wife’s parents.

During those years, I really had to pace myself, because both dinners were incredible. We always returned home with what seemed like an endless supply of leftovers.

But beyond stuffing our faces and watching football, being together as an extended family was priceless.

I miss those days. Our parents are gone now and despite our appreciation for what we once had, we haven’t really taken over for my grandmother and our parents when it comes to getting what is left of our extended family together. We tried, but it just wasn’t the same, so we eventually found ourselves going to restaurants or buffets on Thanksgiving.

I would give just about anything for another chance to be with our extended family for a few hours.

That’s why it bothers me when I hear about people shunning family members or avoiding holiday gatherings because of political differences. How shallow can people be?

I can tell you that politics never came up during any of the holiday gatherings I remember. In fact, I know that my thinking about government policy and politics didn’t always align with everyone in my family, my wife’s family or my circle of friends.

I remember a time when it didn’t matter that a relative, friend or colleague might have different views than you held. It could be politics, sports, entertainment or your favorite side dishes at Thanksgiving. For the record, mine are stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. I can almost live without the turkey, to be honest.

I can also live without politics dividing us as brothers, sisters, cousins and Americans. But a lot of people on both sides of the political spectrum can’t seem to put those differences aside. They’re so invested in being a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative that they’re willing to disown family and end years of friendship because someone else has different opinions than they do.

My father once told me how unwise it was to bring up politics or religion in a bar. I took him at his word, because he knew his way around some of those places. But today, no place — including your grandmother’s dining room, a grocery store or a doctor’s office — is off limits when we want to show that we’re right and those idiots on the other side are wrong.

But some of us refuse to let politics come between family, friends and colleagues. The plain truth is that life is too short for that kind of petty squabbling.

I’ll continue to break bread with people who didn’t vote the way I did. I’ll still read their Facebook posts and wish them a happy birthday when it comes up every year. I’ll still say a prayer for them when they need it and sometimes even when they don’t.

It doesn’t matter if they’re Democrats, Republicans or libertarians, or if they’re not political in any way. But I absolutely, categorically draw the line at Pittsburgh Steelers fans.

Just kidding. I am friends with some of them, too, and there are some in my family.

Hey, as one of my former bosses once said, “‘Everyone has the right to be wrong.”‘

Ed Puskas is editor of the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator. Contact him at epuskas@tribtoday.com or 330-841-1786.=