Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Yesterday I commented on the Facebook message of a former coworker, an educated individual with whom I’d assumed I had a cordial relationship. This person had shared a friend’s post–a short essay, more or less, blasting Trump–and then endorsed the sentiments in it, adding that “if you voted for Trump, you should be ashamed of yourself.” This was followed up with the bald statement that “we are not friends.” I was troubled that a post specifically decrying Trump’s unwillingness to heal division in this country was accompanied by a message that seemed unavoidably divisive to me and commented to that effect. This individual disagreed, stating that it was a matter of standing up for beliefs. We traded comments once or twice more, over perhaps a two hour period at most (I was also making dinner), until I could suddenly no longer find the thread. Shortly thereafter, a search on Facebook no longer yielded the name of the individual in question; my assumption is that I have been blocked.

Here, friends, are MY beliefs. I don’t believe any good will come of demonizing those who choose differently than we do. I DO believe that there are valid reasons to vote for either of the candidates in this election of misery, and many of them are not hateful and represent valid concerns for the future direction of our country. (For the record, I also believe that MORE valid reasons exist NOT to vote for either candidate. I have yet to find ANYONE who isn’t at least somewhat appalled that this year’s choices are supposedly the best we can do.) I cannot imagine the Savior telling ANYONE that “we are not friends” (although I can easily imagine Him weeping at much of what is being said right now, on BOTH sides). I will accept the winner of this election because I live in a democratic republic and I voted knowing that if you ARE the minority, you’re often stuck with other people’s choices of pizza toppings on a group date. I will pray for the winner of this election because my church leaders have asked me to pray for greater civility, understanding, and wisdom for my country’s leaders, and I believe that to be sound and inspired direction. I will be friends with any individual in my life who is a friend to me. I believe that ultimately, people are more alike than they are different, and if we can find common ground, we can find a way forward. I believe that this can be hard–very, very hard at times–but that it is every bit as important as it is hard, and I believe that it can be done. I also believe that if we are going to make it happen, it must start individually, with each one of us.

I wish I had been able to express my beliefs fully to that individual. I sincerely hope that those still in my life do not find these beliefs to be blockworthy.

I hope and pray that our country can find its way to a better place–and I believe that it’s up to each of us to get there. May God bless us all.

My hubby and I filled out our ballots last night, folks, and I have never been so miserable during the process. (As my friend Andrea said, there was a lot of nose-holding as I voted.) On the other hand, I’m grateful to live in a country where I CAN vote, regularly and reliably, and I’m doubly grateful in this 100th year of women being able to participate as legal voters in this country. Still–it was miserable.

Fittingly, I also finished reading Bold & Brave: Ten Heroes Who Won Women the Right to Vote last night, and I enjoyed the body of the book. I learned things about women I was familiar with as well as learned about women that I wasn’t. My only complaint was the ending tie-in to the 2017 Women’s March; Women’s Suffrage was such a focused cause, even if the methods and participants were (sometimes defiantly) diverse, that comparing it to a demonstration without one specifically identifiable goal feels faulty. I did like the very end, where it talked about using your voice for what you believe in, and I rather wish that had been the immediate segue. Overall, however, there’s good information here, and I don’t think we spend enough time remembering and recognizing these particular heroes.

Good luck with your voting, friends, and let’s follow M. Russell Ballard’s counsel to pray for our country and our leaders, however and to whomever we choose. WHOEVER wins.