Barbara, thanks for joining the conversation. Everyone needs to have and exercise their own voice. Congratulations on finding yours. I’m a HUGE proponent of healthy boundaries, without them there’s no delineation between individuals and identities. Everyone — regardless of race, gender, or age—needs to be treated with the same level of dignity, respect, and compassion as anyone else. And what level is that? The maximum.

(BTW, crotchety old ladies are some of my favorite people.)