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Post 11/9: The Election is Over. How Do We Move Forward?

Post 11/9: The Election is Over. How Do We Move Forward?

Last updated on: November 9, 2016 at 3:59 pm by Susan Cottrell

Post 11/9: The Election is Over. How Do We Move Forward? 2016-11-09T15:59:35-05:00 Susan Cottrell

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Beloveds, it’s a strange day, isn’t it? I don’t even mean the outcome of the election, I mean the aftermath. Regardless of whether or not your candidate won, it is likely that the whole thing feels vaguely gross. Like waking up someplace you should never have been, and now you just want to get home and take a shower.

Uck.

But we need to take a little pause here. A big pause. Let’s take a big pause. We need to find our breath. Breathe in, breathe out. Again… in, out. And take a look around. Look at those who love you, and those you love. Find them. Tell them you love them. Reaffirm that you will be there for each other. We need each other’s community now more than ever.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Look at all those you don’t know who are supporting you. All those who will defend you though they don’t even know your name. Those who are fighting for justice and peace and a place for each one of us. We will continue to fight for those things—that has not changed. Find comfort in that.

Breathe in, breathe out.

And look ahead at the future you were looking forward to last week. And last month. Last year. All that you have ahead in your life. Look at that. Press into it. Walk with those who love you as you seek to get there. Please, don’t throw away your own hopes and dreams in despair. You are too good for that. You have too much life and beauty ahead of you and within you to lose sight of it all.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Please, take a step back from the intensity and give yourself a break.

I don’t do scary movies, because I don’t like to emerge myself in fear. But sometimes I’ll watch a movie that gets intense, and I’ll go in the kitchen and start cleaning up so I can still see the movie but get some distance from it. I don’t need to be so upclose to intense or frightening things. I just don’t need it.

Don’t let fear get you either. Fear destroys all sense of proportion. It strips your joy and vitality. And it will disable you from creatively moving into your future. You still have a future!

Some people feel their hope is gone. Some are tempted even to call it quits completely—I know that’s true. But please, please don’t do that. Please don’t let the panic of the immediate rob you of the joy of the future.

Breathe in, breathe out.

You are still here. You are still standing.

And we are still here. And we will continue to stand with you in the days ahead.

We need each other’s community now more than ever. But then we’ve always needed each other’s community. We just may know it now more than usual!

Continue to love because that is who you are. We will continue to love you.

Always.

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