On Tuesday night I made the spontaneous decision to eschew studying responsibilities and hop a train into NYC. I went in with one of my best friends, to watch the highest glass ceiling at the Javits center metaphorically shatter. Of course, I was not naïve enough to think that HRC 100% would become our president elect, but I was pretty hopeful she would. So, as I watched with my fellow Hillary supporters as the polls came in, I felt increasingly disheartened, but I still felt that Hillary still had a path to get the electoral votes she needed, even if by a small margin. Needless to say she did not, and the moment I understood that I felt shocked, sadden, and upset, I did not realize how invested I was in the election or how personally I would take the results. Wednesday was raw, that’s the best word I can find to articulate and encompass my feelings. However, despite the hopelessness that obliviated the excited high I was on the day before, I feel so extremely inspired as I’ve had time to reflect on the happenings of the past few days.

I am inspired by my English professor who took almost the entirety of our hour and fifteen class, my first class the day after, to allow us to discuss the election results and how it made us feel, whether pleased or not. In comparison, other professors bulldozed over the election like it never happened. I cannot express how thankful I am that my professor understood how sensitive their class would be at that point in the day and openly showed emotion as we did, while encouraging constructive conversation from both those who voted for Trump and Clinton. That class was a unique experience that I will never forget, and it reflected what education can be at its strongest.

I am inspired by my friend who called me on my train back from the Javits center, who voted for Trump instead of Clinton, and yet showed respect for my chosen candidate while asking me how I felt about the election results thus far. Of course at the time, I wanted to as “How do you think I feel?????,” but when I look back on it he never had to ask me how I felt, he could have rubbed his candidate’s success that far in the night in my face, but he didn’t.

I am inspired by Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, Obama’s speech reflecting on the election, and the President Elect’s speech followed the concession call from Clinton. There were times during the two-year campaign that it was insinuated a transition of power would not be peaceful or accepted without great contention. However, at this moment in time things between the current president, the president elect, and Secretary Clinton have been civil if not cordial. It is known that an American tradition is the peaceful transition of power when a new president is elected, this is something that many countries do not have the privilege of having.

I am inspired by the post from the young mother, Margot Gerster who was walking in Chappaqua, to ease some of her heartbreak from the election turnout and ran into Hillary and Bill Clinton. For some reason it was so comforting to me, and I know many others as well, to see photo evidence that HRC was carrying on the day after. She took one of the greatest defeats one can take in any career, but she was still willing to chat and take a photo.

My list of inspiration during this fractured time in American history, is not extensive, but it is enough to lighten my mood as I still sort through my emotions over this past Tuesday. This article is not meant to render illegitimate the fear or sadness many are feeling, just to lesson it. I do not stand by President Elect Trump’s views or actions, but I also do not stand by the spiteful, mean, and ignorant rhetoric being thrown around by each other on either side of the party lines. I do not stand by the opinions of those who “educated” themselves on the election a few days before the event and treated it like a celebrity contest, who can’t explain to me why they voted for their candidate. Lastly I do not stand by people who are using the election as a platform as a way to more openly express their intolerance for those who are not like them, but I also understand that a great deal of the President Elect supporters do participate or agree with that behavior. These next few months will be trying, the 100 days after election telling, and the four years following potentially defining for American history, but I will do my best to be inspired, and live by the saying: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can.”