My dear little boys.
When you went to bed Tuesday night, begging to see how the election would turn out, I told you we’d find out in the morning.
Well, I need to talk to you, babies.
Here’s the thing: you know how we talked about how a lot of Americans are full of hope and love, but that some are scared? They don’t know what’s true and don’t get good information? Americans without jobs who don’t know how to get them back? Americans whose schools don’t teach them science or how to think about stories that might not be true? Americans who get their news from the Internet, where we know anyone can say anything and it might not be true?
Those scared Americans had more voters than the people who believe what we do. More people voted for him than for her.
I know it’s scary, baby. I know what you’ve heard. You’ve been asking for months if the awful things you’re hearing at school are true. They’re not true. He won’t do all those things that are against the law. He can’t.
And I need to tell you something.
We’re still a family. You’re still safe. We still know all people are equal, that women can be anything men can be, that religion isn’t what makes someone good or bad. We still know we have to be allies, stand up for people who aren’t being treated fairly. We still know, boys. We do. Our family.
We still know that you can’t grab another person or hug them or kiss them unless they say yes. We still know that you can’t tell someone to stay out of the country for what they believe or for their color. We still know that what that man says and does is wrong.
But half of America decided that they’re too scared to care if he’s wrong. Some think he’s right.
So here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to keep being our best selves. We’re going to treat people well, and work hard at school, and I’m going to work hard at work. I’m not going to lose my job because that man was elected. We’re going to have the same house, the same landlord, the same city laws, the same county laws, the same state laws. We’re going to have the same family, the same soccer teams, the same teachers. Your school won’t change. Your lives won’t change.
I know, boys. I’m scared, too.
What we’ll do? Is focus on gratitude. On what’s good. On how we can help others. Remember that man I told you was my favorite from when I was little saying, “look for the helpers”? There will be a lot of helpers because a LOT of people believe like we do.
And if things go okay with this man as President, then I was wrong. It’s okay to be wrong. I’ll say I was wrong. I won’t say sorry, because I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’ll admit I was wrong. If things go okay. And I hope they will.
If things don’t go okay, we’ll vote again next summer and next fall. And the summer and fall after that. And after that. And you’ll keep helping me vote until you’re old enough to vote.
And when you can vote, you’ll vote for experience not ignorance, for thoughtful not hateful, for women and men of all colors and religions and shapes and sizes.
Maybe we’ll vote the same way, and maybe we won’t. Because the fact of being able to vote is that some people disagree with you.
Right now, it feels like everyone disagrees with what we think is right and good.
But they don’t. Half of this country agrees with me. With us. More than half the world agrees with us. We’re not alone. We’re together, as a family, and we’re a family with the world.
We’re going to be okay. I don’t know what that will look like. But I know that it will be okay.
NaptimeWriting 
Thanks for this. It helps. Because I am just sick.
If I stop swimming and notice what just happened, I will just die. Pushing, maniacally, toward something.
OMG, Christine, this is brilliant. Asusual, you managed to say what what I couldn’t. Shit, you said what I didn’t even know I wanted to say, because I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts about this election, that I really didn’t think about how afraid or unsure my kids would be. Could I possible post this on FB, even anonymously? I really think so many people could stand to read it. It truly is so good. xxoooo
On Tue, Nov 8, 2016 at 10:24 PM, NaptimeWriting wrote:
> Naptimewriting posted: “My dear little boys. When you went to bed Tuesday > night, begging to see how the election would turn out, I told you we’d find > out in the morning. Well, I need to talk to you, babies. Here’s the thing: > you know how we talked about how a lot of Americans” >
Oh, love, of course you can post. It’s public, and I’m not hiding.
This is going high, when the country goes lower than I thought it could.
Beautiful.
But I don’t want this to be the story, Amanda. :(
I don’t want to have to say this.
I love this. I’ve been thinking all day about how now, more than ever, we need to spread love and kindness. We must not let the hate, anger & ugliness continue
Where there is hate there is fear; where there is anger there is fear…kindness, education, and a LOT of patience with each other will overcome fear. I know that’s very Polyanna of me, but it has to be true. It has to.
Be angry, sad, mad, frustrated…. and then get to work. Write and call your congresspeeps and demand action. Tell them anything. You want to abolish the electoral college – tell them. You want Trump and kids investigated for their dealings with foreign countries and banks – tell them. You want Russian hacking of our State Dept looked into – tell them. They were elected by us and hold them accountable. Kids can write letters too!
WE ARE THE HELPERS. I wrote letters all weekend. Thank yous for many, but you-got-shit-to-do for others. I donated to Planned Parenthood. I donated clothes. I’m here for you, I support you, and your boys and you have a helper in me, forever. We also have to be helpers for each other. For the future.
We are the helpers. You’re right. United we stand. And questioning those in government does support the country.
I came across your blog in another’s blogroll, excited because the title of your blog speaks to me. And this was the first post, and it made me sad. Many years ago, I thought like you. I do understand your viewpoint. I just don’t agree. I voted for him. Rather, I voted against her. Not FOR him. I didn’t have a candidate I wanted to vote for.
Your generalization of most of the voters of this country is unfair and uninformed. It is the very unloving stereotyping that you dislike in others. Perhaps it is that you do not know a conservative in real life. I am one. I am a caring person. Not racist. Not ignorant. Not uninformed. I just think differently than you do, and I have different experiences than you do. If you support diversity, you must mean also diversity in thought. That is was makes a vibrant, thriving society.