November 7, 2020 – Saturday
And the election results are FINALLY in and … Biden and Harris WIN!
OH, HAPPY DAY!
I lingered in bed this morning, knowing that when my feet hit the unusually cold floor that we wouldn’t have any new news – so, why bother getting out of bed, yet? The dog was still asleep; I was cozy. I had turned the heat off last night and I was not ready to get out of my cocoon of comforters quite yet … so, I lingered. I stretched. I counted my blessings. I listened to my sweet little Bea snoring. (How do I always get the dogs that snore?)
I got up, turned the dial on the thermostat and listened for the familiar rumble of the heat coming on. Ah, nice. And then I looked at my phone.
I was wrong. We did have news! I saw Mary’s post first … “SO FRICKIN’ HAPPY!” … I was thinking maybe Arizona had been called. But when I turned on the TV … I realized I was wrong again!
OMG … “we” got PA! OMG! OMG! OMG! Biden and Harris WON!!!!
OH, HAPPY DAY!!!!
My son kept telling me to be patient with all this … that the mail-in ballots tend to lean blue. And, they did.
I looked at the TV and looked at the crowds that had gathered already in celebration – all over the country – and burst into tears. Tears of joy mixed with tears of relief. SO MUCH RELIEF. I cried in the shower. I cried eating breakfast. I cried on the phone with my daughter. I cried while I emailed friends. I cried while I folded laundry. I was weepy and wet all day! And, whenever I watched the news or stopped to think about what significance today’s results meant and everything that will come about in this country because of this election … the tears started flowing again.
And, to my friends who voted for Trump … bear with me and my fellow 75 million Americans in our glee. This election was NOT stolen. People are not still voting. There are no illegal ballots being tallied. No fraud. Trump lost. He is lying to you. Stop listening to his ridiculous crap. He makes you look foolish. And I know you are not! I and those who did not vote for Trump in 2016 have endured his presidency with gritted teeth, disgust, misery and at times horror. You had your time. Now it is ours. And, I guarantee you won’t have to endure anything like what these past years were for us. Kindness, respect, compassion, intelligence, sanity are coming back to the White House … get used to it!
And for what it’s worth … those attributes are non-partisan … they are what decency looks like.
This country is a democracy based on rights and laws. One of which is the Freedom of Speech. I respect that. I also respect my friends and their opinions and their practicing their freedom of speech. I ask the same in kind. I have lost friendships over this election. I find that heartbreaking because, frankly, Trump isn’t worth it. I know some people “overlooked” everything else about him because they liked his policies … but I don’t know which ones those were … because I’ve been too stuck on the ones that set us back 50 or more years.
And, aside from his immaturity, criminal activities, abuse of power, bullying and constant lying … I don’t understand how anyone can support a man whose policies, statements and actions encourage the denouncement of science and climate change … that allow for polluting of our waterways and air … that endanger animals, people and the desecration of sacred lands … that promote the caging of children and the tearing apart of families … that watched 240,000 of our family members and dear friends die during this pandemic without the inkling of a plan (even the wearing of a mask – which he ridiculed) and claiming no responsibility … that did nothing to help all those Americans who lost their homes and livelihoods … that incited violence and used intimidation and fear tactics … that called immigrants rapists and murderers … that did not denounce conspiracy theories or white supremacy … that tried to ban religious freedoms … that turned a blind eye to racism … that put millions of dollars into his own pocket … that called our military suckers and losers … that called our journalists stupid or nasty … that had questionable ties to foreign countries … that grabbed pussy … that filled government positions with family members, donors, golf buddies or pals who had no experience or clearance … that caused dissolution of ties with our allies and organizations … that said nothing when bounties were put on the heads of our military … and that spewed humiliation onto so many including POWs, the aged and the disabled.
Explain that to me.
As I said before, in this election I voted for decency to come back to the White House. And with it, I am so very hopeful that this country will be open and mature enough to welcome in these leaders and the rest of those elected so that we can go forward … better, stronger and more united. This country has a lot of work to do. And that means we need to be selfless and look after our neighbors more than we look after our 401K. We need to go forward peacefully to make the needed changes. All of us. I am hopeful but there are 70 million in the country that align themselves with Trump. We have a tough road ahead but we can do this together. We need these changes for the betterment of all of us … now and for the future … for ourselves, our kids and their children.
It’s been said many, many times before that there is so much more that we have in common than what we don’t. I would like to think that (among other things) we all love our families, truth, honesty, this country, each other … and want equity, a healthy planet, progress, unity, prosperity and peace on earth. I believe we have more in common than what actually divides us.
I am hoping we all take a deep breath and can go forward tomorrow and choose to help rebuild this country … better, stronger, happier, safer … embracing us all.
But tonight … I’ll celebrate.
OH, HAPPY DAY!