America, The Beautiful.

On Tuesday morning

from a hotel room in Denver,

when the country was still waking

and the energy at the polls was just starting to pulse,

I shared my thoughts about Election Day. 

 How I appreciated the camaraderie of the occasion 

regardless of political affiliation. 

I acknowledged the strains that accompanied the day.

Some people would feel victorious, 

others defeated.

I encouraged friends, no matter the results of the day

 to remember the good stuff. 

To remember the power behind

 our individual passions but also our shared privilege.

But I didn't anticipate the result. 

And I wasn't prepared for just how heartbreaking

'defeated' could actually feel.

And it's not just him over Her. 

I mean, it is but - 

- but it's more the overwhelming 

sadness and shame and guilt I feel that people in our country 

feel so broken and tired and angry and a lot of us 

didn't hear it. Or see it. 

Or worse we did, but... we didn't believe it.

I didn't at least.  

That's a tough pill to swallow today.

The fact that we let each other down.

I understand people feeling divided. 

And I support honoring our feelings 

as we make sense of all of this.

 I hope we can do this with kindness and with empathy.

 I said this Tuesday morning, and I'll say it again: 

The sunflowers will still turn towards the sun. 

The redwoods will still stretch to the sky. 

Rivers will run and birds will circle 

and we'll continue to take deep breaths and fill our lungs with air. 

Everyday the sun will set and it will rise again. 

And the stars will always be up there - even if clouded over.

And the best part is - 

Those things? 

Those beautiful things that make up America?

They belong to all of us. 

And no one can take that away.

xox