Let me start by saying that I am not an American but a Canadian with a front row seat to all that has taken place in the last 24 hours.I watched the election, becoming more horrified as the hours went by. I swore at the TV. Went to bed to get away from it, then followed from my iPad anyway. I woke up feeling fearful, saddened and sick. What the hell were they thinking?
This morning I went into my meditation consumed with fear and negativity. I ended my meditation quite differently.
I started to think of all of these people who voted Republican. Surely they are not all racists, white supremacists, and bigots, as the media would have us believe. Maybe, just maybe, this is a whole lot of people that are afraid for their lives. Afraid that if things continue as they have, they will have no homes to call their own. No jobs to pay the bills. Maybe they are not even thinking about who they are better than or who they hate.Maybe they are not so different from me, but are in what they feel is a desperate situation. And you know what they say about desperate situations.
Today, I will try to focus on healing. On connection. Today I believe that we all need to stand together. Support each other, no matter our beliefs. Just because I believe something strongly doesn’t make me right, and the same goes for you. Shaming helps no one. Violence helps no one.
We must stand together. Reach out and try to understand each other. Find common ground. Acknowledge each other’s fears as legitimate and do what we can to alleviate those fears. Stand shoulder to shoulder with the folks that are afraid for their very existence on both sides of the fence. Remember that most of us are good people with good intentions.
Times like this can convince us that there is an us and a them. The good guys and the bad guys. But here’s the thing. We really are all the good guys. Sometimes we just forget that and act contrary to our true nature. This is not the time for further division.. This is a time for solidarity as a human race, not just as separate countries. I offer my apologies to any that I have dismissed, and I offer my hand in friendship to ALL. We really are in this together. It’s time to remember that, now more than ever.
BreatheShellyGirl 