It’s been two weeks since we got the results back from the election and I wanted to reflect on that day and share my thoughts. -Abi ❤

Preface: I want to preface that this essay is not saying we shouldn’t be angry. We have every right to be angry. This is also not saying we should ‘kill them with kindness,’ because not everyone deserves our kindness and respect. This essay is saying we should put more love into the world because this is a time when there is so much hate, anger, and divisiveness. Use this essay almost as a reminder to have more love for yourself and others in this cruel world. 

Waking up on Wednesday morning dreading the thought of opening my phone to see the news. I was up and down all night checking ABC News to see which states have finished counting their votes. A sea of red flooded my screen and washed my face with red light, hiding the anger and hurt on my face when I opened my phone. Donald Trump won. I set my phone down not believing what I had seen. 

I lay in bed, in shock and disbelief, my cat in my arms, when my roommate walked in crying. She was in tears over the news, rightfully so. She came and sat on my bed talking about how much fear and uncertainty she felt about the next few months. I couldn’t focus on anything, too much was running through my head. The only thing that was grounding me was the faint vibration from the cat purring in my arms and the sound of my roommate’s sobs at the foot of my bed. 

I  was staring out the window while listening to her, noticing how dreary of a day it was. The clouds were low in the sky and all the sun’s light was diffused by the thick coverage of clouds. There was not even a slight chance that the sun would peak through that day. I remember the day Joe Biden won, the sun was shining and melting the little snow we had on the ground. There was no snow on the ground, no snow in the forecast, and it was almost seventy degrees the day after the election. It almost felt like the Earth knew what was going to happen, predicting our fate for the next four years. This is not me saying I like or support Biden, but there was more hope and warmth in the weather that day.

I couldn’t sit in bed any longer. My roommate had left and so had my cat. Sitting in bed was not going to do anything, so I did what I needed to do, move on. I got up and got ready as if it was a regular day. Brushed my teeth, washed my face, put on skincare and makeup, brushed my hair, and got dressed. I skipped my morning class. I had too much on my mind and too much homework to go to class and act like nothing happened. That’s what I tried to do with my day anyway. I put my things for school in my bag, my iPad, my laptop, and any book I would need to do homework and set off. 

I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, but I just started walking. My headphones were playing some indie bullshit from the 90s, American Football’s self-titled album. Most of the songs are instrumental which helps me focus on whatever I’m doing, at that moment it was walking.

 My mind was clearing, letting me focus on my surroundings. There was so much to see, so much light and love in our lives that I couldn’t see before because I was letting the news cloud my vision. Something so simple such as someone walking their dog is a sign of love. When you break love down to its simplest form, caring and observing, then it’s everywhere. 

On my walk, I saw many couples walking hand in hand admiring each other or talking about their day and the plans they had. Many owners walking and picking up after their dogs, showing a small act of love to reap the reward of unconditional love from their pets. When I got closer to downtown I saw an old couple sitting on a bench holding hands in silence, watching people pass by them, and soaking up each other’s company like they have for many years.  

When I got to the top of Church Street I beelined to Kru Coffee. There weren’t many places to drink my chai latte and eat my scone so I sat on an empty couch across from two strangers reading books. The nook was narrow and small, so it felt intimate, like I was interrupting something, but I enjoyed the company of these strangers. The peace they were exuding while reading comforted me.  The nook was in front of a window so I could people-watch while I thought and sipped my tea. 

I opened my laptop to try and get some homework done because that was my whole point in skipping class and going to a coffee shop. I tried working, but I couldn’t focus. So many thoughts raced through my mind, my future, our future, and my initial reaction and everyone else’s when they heard the news that He was going to be president, again. 

My initial reaction was anger. I’ve seen all over social media that other people’s reactions were also anger, sadness, fear, and some even hatred. A friend posted that they couldn’t feel anything but anger so they were going to be mean for the day. These are all perfectly valid reactions, but this is a time to come together, not in anger and hatred, but in love. There are so many horrible and cruel atrocities happening all over the world, this is a perfect time to come together to spread more love. 

Taking the anger, sadness, and hatred that we feel towards these events and converting them into change, action, and love will make a more meaningful difference and impact. There are many ways to send love into the world, even the smallest acts can make a difference. Make it a mission to do three things that have a loving message. I made a list of small acts that can be done every day. Some items on this list are things you can do for yourself or others.

• Give someone a genuine compliment
• Give someone a gift or make them something
• Call a family member and tell them you love and miss them
• Smile at a stranger
• Listen and dance to your favorite song(s)
• Make your favorite meal
• Give someone a hug and/or kiss
• Play with your pet
• Take a walk
• Sit in the sun
• Talk to a stranger or your neighbor
• Ask someone about themselves
• Write a love letter to someone or yourself
• Read your favorite book
• Watch your favorite movie
• Volunteer

Why do any of this at all? As I said before, there is so much hate and cruelty in the world right now that there is no need to create more hostility. By doing acts of kindness out of love could help recenter our thinking. Why do we want to inflict change? Is it because we hate the people who are against it or is it because we are passionate and love the topic? For example, we fight for LGBTQ+ rights because we love and support the community and want equity and equality, not because we hate who is against it. Hate is just misunderstood passion. Try not to think about the people who hate whatever you want changed, do it because you love it.

I know we want to change the world and think about everything that needs to be changed but doing anything out of hatred and spite could lead to more. Spite and hate can be good fuel for change and action but it tends to lack reasonable and rational justification; it can also lead to irrational and destructive behavior. Check your thinking and your mindset before you take action. Sometimes there isn’t always time to double-think, but if you can try, it could make such a difference. 

This may sound like an ignorant essay to write, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to put more love into a world that is so saturated with hate and cruelty. We can’t surround ourselves with these things all the time. We will become exhausted. So, trying to practice love and kindness can help create change and action for the better. If you ever feel like doing something out of hate or spite take that energy, sit with it, ruminate, and then find a way to recenter your thinking to put love into the world. And remember, hate is misunderstood passion.