Well, it's finally over. The election aspect of things anyway. Votes were cast and tallied, there was a winner and a loser, the nation either cheered or cried, and now we're all here, feeling a million different ways.
I'm sure you've all seen the articles circulating right now, where authors are sharing their personal opinions on this topic, and while I appreciate their voice, I have been unable to make it through a single one. I've simply realized that right now, I just don't want to hear it. And here's why. Whenever I've been faced with something difficult in my life, I've always given myself the same advice, "you have ten minutes of poor me time and then you need to handle yourself."
This is my ten minutes.
In the time I've spent with myself, I've cried, and then cried some more. I've been angry, and resentful, and confused. Then I stopped, and started reflecting, observing, and listening, and I've realized that more than anything, my desire is not to engage in futile arguments with people on the opposite side. In fact, I have found only three truly important things that I hope everyone will remember during this time.
1). You are entitled to feel how you feel.
Yes, I do mean everyone. I know people that are in mourning over the way this election turned out. I know people that feel unsafe, and scared, and betrayed. I also know people that are ecstatic at the results, that feel resentful and wounded at the implication that their political alignments make them a reprehensible person. I'm here to tell you that whether you find it ridiculous or not, you can't actually tell people that they are not entitled to feel how they do. That's not how it works. You can challenge that facts are incorrect, you can even say that opinions are ill informed, but you cannot argue with someones feelings. Fight the urge.
2). Be kind to each other.
Have compassion for the people that are hurting, give an open ear to those who want to explain an opposing side, or simply take the time to step back and enjoy the silence that a social media cleanse will bring. We have this president for four years, and yes, that is a lot of time to make changes that can positively and negatively affect this country. But we have this world, and we have each other, for so much longer than any one person will ever be in office. So please, don't just tolerate differences, embrace them. Find someone with opposing opinions and listen calmly and openly to their views, and then ask them to do the same. Exchange thoughts, raise awareness, exchange hugs, protect each other, defend each other, refuse to hate, spread so much love that it's all anyone call feel, my god we need it now more than ever before.
3). We can never have an election like this again.
If any of you happened to watch some of Stephen Colbert's live election special, he certainly hit the nail on the head. This election, more so than any that came before it, consumed the nation and created a divide in this country deep as marinas trench. It has quite literally ended friendships, caused social media brawls, and it's sure as hell going to make for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner for a lot of families. More than that though, it has made us forget that at the end of the day, we hold so much more power when were standing together than when we've divided ourselves into a million sub groups. Don't you see that's what they want? The more divisions that exist among us, the more we fight, and the less we look at what is really going on. Stop. This nation is ours to change once we realize we have the power to do it. However you feel, channel it, use it to inspire you. The sun rose the morning after election night, and it will continue to do so every day. We have four years to shape where the world will be in November of 2020. There is so much work to be done. Let's get started.
