Hope Floats

 I, like many others, have been highly impacted by our recent presidential election.  I was excited when I was voting for Barrack Obama for many reasons, but the biggest reason of all was his platform of hope.  I was excited for a  president who moved from you are either with us or against us to a message of "Yes, we can" and "Together, we can". 

---

I was not like many others - I always knew that Donald Trump had a good chance to win.  While I hoped he would not, I knew it was a real possibility.  Now that it has happened, as a spiritual person, the question is what does this mean and what is my lesson in all of this.

The first lesson in his winning is one of compassion and love for our fellow man.  Ask yourself, as I am asking myself, where do I have judgment of those who voted for Trump?  Where do I have judgment of Trump?  Where is it my duty to speak my truth and where have I crossed the line to bad behavior?  These are questions that can help put the focus where it should be - on how we can use this to be more loving.  In a Course in Miracles, it states, everything is either love or a call for love.  This election is a call for love - for each of us, regardless of your side.  And, as a country, we are not responding with love, but with fear (which includes anger and hurt).  Instead, see this election for what it truly is - a call for a large number of Americans for love. 

As I read the facebook comments from those that supported Trump, I hear a group of people who feel attacked, pushed out and marginalized.  In their moment of victory, they feel like the have done something "wrong".  I was talking to a couple, both of whom voted for Trump, and they asked if I was going to vote for him.  When I explained that I am Muslim, so therefore, I really could not in any kind of good conscious vote for him, they seemed confused.  They did not see how my being Muslim had anything to do with Trump.  For all of us that are highly fearful for what will come of us and all of the progress that we felt we had made for being American, just like everyone else, I see that those that supported Trump did not vote against us, they voted for him.

As for consequences, I am not naïve.  When we allow the kind of rhetoric that has started already, there is no good place for that to go.  But, let me call first and foremost on myself, and then each of us, to not take part of that rhetoric in the opposite direction.  One of my favorite quotes is from Buddha who says, Hate is never ended by hate, but by love.  I am asking myself right now, have I been loving enough?  And, where can I bring more love to this situation.

When we bring love to a situation, the person we heal is ourselves.  Today, I offer a remedy for the feeling of grief, the fear for the future, and the feeling like you are alone - you are not.  Each person around you, regardless of who they voted for and the reasons they chose to vote for that person, is feeling alone, sad and fearful for the future.  We all share that together.  That situation always calls for love.  When your child comes to you and says, I hurt myself, you do not push them away, but instead pull them close and offer to kiss their boo boo.  Each of us is looking for our thoughts and feelings to be heard and validated - instead of being the one who asks for that today, be the one who gives that to another today.

This month I am focused on gratitude and generosity.  I invite each of you to join me in giving more of yourself and your love to those around you.  It is so needed.  And, look for someone, who feels differently from you, and especially reach out to them and give more kindness.  The result is the America that we all want and love. Remember, grace heals and hope floats.