Yesterday I cried. A lot.

I cried alot yesterday. I cried because a platform of hate, greed, and celebrity strategically won over a platform of unity and service. It still isn’t the majority of us, but millions and millions of people were willing to align themselves with racism, misogyny, and the denial of science and knowledge. So many more than I thought could do that- did that. Yesterday was one of the darkest days my heart has seen. I, and so many of us, are grieving. 

Grief can have transformative powers. There is such a thing as post-traumatic growth. When our hearts are broken, when our psyche is so broken up that we don’t even recognize ourselves, we have an opportunity. We get to choose how we will put the pieces back together, and we have a very real opportunity to become a better person. We don’t want it, we would give it back if we could, but that is what we must rise to. Jonathan Haidt writes about this phenomenon in his book “The Happiness Hypothesis.” (Very worth reading)

Friends, this is what this means. The stage is open and we have all just realized we are the ones who are supposed to sing. We are going to find strength we didn’t know we had. We will see more clearly who our real friends are and hold each other closer. What is actually important will come into clear focus, and the trivial will fall aside.

I would rather have the first woman president than this growth right now. Growth happens from joy and possibility too, and I wish with my whole broken heart that was what I was writing about.

So yesterday was for crying. Today, I am an artist, and I am awake early. I am working to heal the people I love and the culture of the world I live in. I will be working longer hours.