The good news is I am alive and if you are reading this so are you. I barely slept last night because I am an information junkie and I had to see it to the end. My17 year old son woke after midnight in disbelief and shared with me that school will suck today because they have been messing with him because he choose Hillary in their mock election in which 88% voted for Trump. I won’t begin to be cliche and say we have been through worse before and will get though this because the reality is, not everybody made it through the worst of times. The government is now set up akin to what led to the Great Depression, so yeah. We learned from big mama not long ago that the truth hurts and it does. The United States of America spoke its truth yesterday and it is a hard pill to swallow. We are mourning and hurting and now is not the time to play the blame game. If truth be told if every Black person living in America voted for Hillary the outcome would still be the same. Black women, you especially did your duty and I love you for that.
I have no plans or resources to flee the country that I was born and raised in and currently raising my children in. I am angry but not surprised that America showed its true colors and I am not afraid. It is still very hard to believe who will be our next president and many are grieving and some can’t even function today. So if that means I have to speak a little louder or come to the aid of my sister who is too hurt to fend for herself today I will. There is even more work to do for the marginalized than we thought yesterday and it is going to take days, months and realistically many years to do. So we need to take care of ourselves and each other now more than ever. There are days like today that you will feel hopeless or depressed or so exhausted that you feel paralyzed and you will have to tap out and call someone to stand in the gap for you. Once you are strong you will take the onus for your sister or brother but you must continue to stay in the fight. You must educate, nurture and keep an active mind and body in order to be persistent in doing the ground work to make change.
Good mourning to the pain in the center of my chest — India Arie
A few things to do today or this week if you are having trouble dealing:
- Get up and take a shower if you haven’t.
- Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water and or tea.
- Get off your computer, turn off the news and connect in person with your people. Make a phone call and share your feelings, invite your person over for lunch, dinner, coffee talk, laugh and cry.
- Eat don’t become hangry! Don’t let your blood sugar dip and your energy lull.
- Make an appointment with your therapist if you have one. If you are feeling overwhelmed and need to seek one, recognize it is a healthy option and do it.
- Create something today. Write, doodle, paint, sew, design.
- Touch someone today. Whether you have the option to indulge in amazing sex or simply receive a hug from a well intentioned family member, friend, or child. Touch is necessary.
- BE patient with yourself. You will cry, get angry, argue, curse, kick and or scream. Forgive yourself for your reaction and move on.
- Do some work. Whether its applying for a job, scholarship, or loan or starting a manuscript, or application for gov’t subsidies to get your family through for the moment do it. Do what you have been putting off.
- Volunteer, fundraise or donate to a local community organization that is doing the work for the marginalized now.
Keep breathing. You are alive. It may feel like the end of times but we got up this morning.
