Fortune and love favor the brave.
-Ovid

If you're anything like me, you've been overwhelmed by the election. If you're anything like me, you are hurt and angered by the results and terrified of the social repercussions to follow. And if you're anything remotely like me, you just want something to remind you the world isn't total shit.

Well, I can tell you this article isn't going to assuage all your negative thoughts and emotions over where our country is headed. I'm scared and furious and so damn disappointed in the country I live in and the people I share it with. But as someone with mental health struggles, I have to maintain some glimmer of happiness or joy - without it, I'll spiral into depression or mania and my anxiety will take a swan dive into chaos.

All that being said, here's a bunch of things I love that no amount of racist, sexist, alt-right nutjobs can take away from me.

I love that my dog greets me every time I walk in the door like she hasn't seen me for weeks. It's impossible to be in a bad mood when you're on the receiving end of love that pure and innocent. She doesn't care that I messed something up at work or that I snapped at someone I shouldn't have: she's just happy to see me and glad I'm home.

I love true crime. Podcasts about murder or mysteries are entertaining and thought-provoking. I binge them like crazy and anytime I can get my hands on a creepy unsolved case, I'm like a kid on Christmas.

I love music that makes me feel something, makes me happy, makes me sad. Music that stirs up my emotions and pulls at my heartstrings. I love Rufus Wainwright, I love Pink Floyd, I love The Gaslight Anthem. I love music that makes you want to drive around the block until the song ends.

I love the way some things never change. My Gran's house hasn't changed, inside or out, as far back as I can remember. One of my dad's best friends still calls my younger brother 'Baby Matthew', despite him being 20 years old. Jokes I've told for years still make my sister laugh. I feel stable in this consistency.

I love the way some things are always changing. The seasons in Virginia, the drinks at Starbucks, which finger I wear my ring on, my next door neighbor's lawn decorations. Big and small, change can bring a sense of renewal and a promise of a second chance.

I love Christmas. I love that my family will always listen to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby. My siblings and I will always decorate the tree with old ornaments we've had for decades - baby's firsts, popsicle stick reindeer, thumbprint mice.

I love watching my friends grow up. The Facebook pictures of graduations, weddings, and babies. The knowledge that they're moving on, doing big and incredible things, being brave and kind as they navigate a harsh and uncertain world.

I love the smell of my dad's cologne and his cigars. I love the feel of my brother's hair - coarse and wiry. I love how calm and happy my sister looks when she's on the beach, the sand sticking to her feet. I love the way my family is mending and growing. I love how gentle my dad's girlfriend is - a quality we need more of in this world.

I love the way cool water hits your tongue and how hot water stings the back of your shoulders. I love watching people singing and dancing to music in their cars and I love driving with the windows down.

I will hold on to hope, even if I'm facing terrible odds. I will be gentle in the face of hate and I will stand strong and tall against anger. I will stand up for what is right and I will remain humble in the presence of others. I will believe that the majority of people will stand up for what is right.

And I will love. I will always love.