SNAP and EBT are so vital and I am so sorry for what America is going through. We must support each other rather than place blame. It is a fight between us and the 1% - not against each other.

Unfortunately this kind of conversation with them is not uncommon, and as I said it's been more difficult to maintain a relationship in recent years.

But it didn't make it through their minds. To them it was ok because it was me, someone they knew and loved. But a stranger was a different story. A stranger was still manipulating the system and stealing their taxpayer money.

I tried to explain that just how my reason for SNAP is both unique and reasonable, that everyone else's reason for SNAP is equally as unique and equally as reasonable. That we cannot assume we know what an individuals situation is. We cannot judge them because we are not them.

"Well that's a great reason, I'm happy you are eating." They were completely fine with my extremely niche and unique reasoning for SNAP. It took me so many years to get SNAP myself because I thought it was for people who were even worse off than I was. But because it was me - it was ok to them.

Inevitably, welfare and EBT came up in discussion and I decided to tell them my story. I told them what I told you above. I was on SNAP so that I could buy food so I could get healthy - something they've been asking me to do for years. Funnily enough - they understood.

Later that year I visited family for the holiday. They live in the Bible belt. They are southern baptist, wealthy, white, Republican. But I love them and I try to explain my life and choices to them when I can. The relationship has only gotten more difficult to maintain over the years.

So I decided to go on SNAP. I qualified for it and I was excited to get a grocery shopping spree that wasn't laden with stress and guilt. Maybe I could even buy some fresh fruit. I love fruit.

I've always been underweight, lethargic, anemic, etc etc. I've been this way for so long that anytime I see a family member after a while they always tell me I need to eat more because I'm too skinny. Thanks - super helpful. I don't do it on purpose.

But I also love food and I was tired of feeling guilty just buying food because I felt I "couldn't afford it". But maybe if I had a few hundred extra dollars a month that very strictly could only be spent on food - maybe the relationship could get better.

I didn't feel I needed food stamps, but I knew I probably wasn't eating enough and dey ot eating healthy. Truth is, I've always had a weird relationship with food, so eating like this wasn't new to me

I was fresh out of college and working at Panera. Pretty broke put still able to pay rent. Food was always the first item on the budget to go. I survived mostly off all the Panera food I stole from work

Thankfully I only watch the extended edition

Exactly