As you may have learned from my last post, I was devastated by our election results.
And I still am.
It’s a combination of :
-Disbelief that so many people would believe in and vote for a rich guy from a reality-show, who also happens to be bigoted, divisive, inexperienced as an elected leader and just…so…mean.
-Sadness that there are so many people who believe only people who look like them, worship like them, love like them, deserve to have the same rights and freedoms as they do.
-Anger that as hard as women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and non-Christians have worked to gain these same rights, any progress we have made will now be undone.
-Sense of failure that as a parent, I could not protect my children from having to experience this election.
I am still working through all of these emotions and more and will continue to. I am lucky to have some wonderful friends and family who are going through the same thing and we will get each other through it.
What I’ve decided is that what I can control is my own actions. I must now walk the walk for myself, my family, my children, my minority friends and their children, my gay/lesbian friends and their children, and my non-Christian friends and their children and women everywhere.
I am pledging to myself to work in four areas to try to be the change we need in this country: women’s issues, education, the environment, and outreach to marginalized groups. I keep a bullet journal and it has helped me organize myself during this stressful, frightening time. It will also keep me accountable and help me track my work.
So far this week, I have made plans to attend the Million Women March in Washington DC (for women); signed up to volunteer at Books for Africa on Inauguration Day (for education); and I have emailed friends in marginalized groups to start a dialogue on how they are coping and taking care of themselves during the election aftermath (for outreach). And it’s only Wednesday.
This brings me to another important action item: self-care. If you are emotionally distraught over the election, feel targeted by the now emboldened bullies/bigots, or perhaps have strained, damaged or severed relationships post-election, you must take time to care for yourself. However you need to do that. Take care of yourself and then you will be able to take care of others.
If none of this makes any sense to you or you think I am a “whiner” or a “sore loser”, please go away. Truly, from the deepest part of my heart, I have zero interest in you. If you really do want to understand, go read. Go do the work. Yes, I know your crazy candidate won. But the rest of us are all still here. And we are organizing. And we are working hard to make things right. I’m a white, Christian Democrat and I am deeply sorry I haven’t been working this hard before. I am praying a lot about my own failures. But now I’m going to work my ass off. And readers- I would love for you to join me. ❤
Take care of yourselves and each other,
Yellow Daisy Chick
Yellow Daisy Chick Chat 
November 16, 2016 at 12:23 pm
I’m with you, Katie! i told Smoky today that I don’t care if I lose friends over this , I will NOT listen to any more “innocent “ jokes about a group without speaking out. People know not to make racist jokes around me pertaining to black people , but somehow think it is ok to make wise cracks about other groups or even women. I have spoken out in the past and people have sort of cringed and I am sure they think that I am menopausal or something.
After listening Reverend Wlliiam Barber’s sermon (see my Facebook post—it is a LONG sermon but I wept as I watched it), I vowed to stand up to this menace who thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants to—and so far he has. I have called my 3 Reps in DC (all Republicans who also have heard from me in the past—) to ask that they denounce Bannon and I will continue to calling write to them until hell freezes over to get my point across.
Thank you for you blog and this follow up post. You are right on target. Peace, Anne Wood
> On Nov 16, 2016, at 12:07 PM, YellowDaisyChickChat wrot > >
November 18, 2016 at 9:59 am
Thank you, Anne, for having my back. We must do the work and not be complacent. We have to stand up and use our voices. Keep fighting the good fight! There is a lot to do.
November 16, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Good to do all of the above. We have to take some time to go through the stages of grief. But then do what we each can do to bring about positive change. We are all gifted in different ways. Action is required. In the words of John Wesley : “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”
November 18, 2016 at 10:02 am
❤️ that quote. And I know you live by it and are doing all kinds of good things for people without making a big deal about it. Thanks for walking the walk and showing me how.