The weekend before the election was one of the best, if not the best, weekends of my entire life. It was three days filled with love, excitement, and dancing, otherwise known as Villanova Special Olympics. It is the largest student-run Special Olympics in the entire world, and the whole campus gets involved. I was lucky enough to be paired with thirty-three of the most enthusiastic, caring athletes I'd ever met. My weekend consisted of early mornings and late nights cheering them on through every volleyball game, game of bocce, and 5K walk. I was beyond impressed with the skill and determination they displayed on the court. However, I was even more impressed with the sportsmanship and passion that they displayed off the court. One particular instance sticks in my mind. One of our bocce teams lost a very close, suspenseful match. Disappointed, one team member started to cry. Seeing this, an athlete from the opposing team came over and hugged her. He told her that she did a great job and that he was so proud of her. She congratulated him on a great game. That is what it was all about. No matter what the outcome of the competition was, the result was still the same: love and encouragement.
Spending a weekend surrounded by such amazing people gave me a whole new perspective. Despite the fact that we all had different abilities, and came from different places, and enjoyed different things, there was nothing but love in every interaction. Now, seeing the aftermath of the results of this election, I think it is a perspective that everyone needs to be exposed to.
I am ashamed as I scroll through my Facebook feed, seeing post after post of Democrats slamming Republicans and Republicans slamming Democrats. It's true, I am deeply saddened by the results of the election. However, by turning on my fellow Americans, I am promoting the type of division that my vote rejected. Everyone, no matter how different their perspective may be, deserves the same respect that you expect from them as well.
It is easy to reject those that disagree with you out of fear and anger. The easy way out is not what will restore our nation. It will take hard conversations and compromise, but it can be done. I know it can, because I witnessed it myself. I saw the atmosphere that is created when the interaction between people is defined by love. There was no division between sports or counties. There was just a group of athletes that loved what they did and loved everyone that they got to experience it. Just as they are all united by what connects them, we are all united by one common thing; we are Americans. If we treat each other with love and acceptance, it will truly change the world.
