Any Suggestions?

I just drafted a long, ranting post about something that happened today. It was incredibly cathartic to write it, but it needed to be erased. Yet, I still have no idea how to handle the situation.

Here it is in a nutshell: I ended up in a heated discussion with someone today. During the conversation, I was pushed to my limits, and therefore spoke the unvarnished truth about a third person, which deeply offended the person I was speaking with.

I feel like the other person involved in the conversation does not respect me or my decisions, and has generally been rather unsupportive of our little family in recent months. I am angry with this person, because of this. The truth-speaking probably would not have occurred but for the fact that things have been bubbling under the surface for months.

The person called me back and left me a voicemail asking me to return the call. From talking to a third party, I know that this person claims that they were "joking" during some of the parts of the conversation I found most offensive (I don't think this is true), and that I responded inappropriately by saying what I did (although what I said was 100 percent true, and this person knows that). I didn't call back yet.

I'm not sure how to handle this. I find the person impossible to talk to when there is a difference of opinion, because it's like talking to a wall. I am wrong, this person is right, the end. Oh, and it's a family member, so I can't just avoid the situation forever, which is what I'd really like to do.

This has made me really tired. Off to bed I go, but if you have a great way for me to smooth this ugliness over, I'd love to hear it.