Friday, November 11, 2016

Have you ever gone to scream, only to open your mouth and have no sound come out? I think that's how I feel right now, and I think that's why I've retreated into writing.

Before I begin:
I love you. I know that things might be hard right now, and no one has a right to tell you that you don't deserve to feel or not feel exactly how much you feel right now. People will heal in their own time. Right now, unconditional love feels a bit like a radical act. Embrace it.

Now, on to the harder parts of this. If you have poured your heart into this election, let me first say that this is not your fault. The forces of complacency and white supremacy and hatred in this country won out, but this is not. your. fault. This loss does not rest on the backs of folks of color or women or marginalized communities, and this is not your fault. When you are ready to join the fight, there will be space. Until then, take care of yourself.

I'm still trying to process some pieces of this. I didn't want to believe that the worst parts of this country could come together in such a way to let this happen - but I also know that for a lot of folks, this is nothing more than a harder version of a battle they've been fighting for a long time. You have a right to lay down your armor, even just for a minute. I will try to protect you while you do.

I don't have a coherent plan, just a collection of thoughts and feelings and a newly-invigorated desire to fight hard and love harder in the face of a lot of darkness. Hold each other close.