Wednesday, November 09, 2016

A Letter to My Daughters


COLD and RED

It’s daybreak and there’s frost on the eaves. The western sky is red and the color reflects upon the mirror that is the lake. There is no wind and the birds are not yet awake. The only sound is that of a ticking clock.

It’s the morning after the Presidential election and I feel alone and empty. I miss my children. And yet, I don’t think I can face them without offering an apology for the world into which we brought them. It’s a world that apparently tolerates hatred, bigotry, misogyny and hypocrisy. A world where surface-level information poses as knowledge, and intelligence and truths remain buried and inconsequential. A world where the concepts of hope and change are mocked and regression poses as progress. A world where the masses are mesmerized by a reality TV star as they stare into their screens and devices, while actual reality and the beauty around them goes unconsidered and unnoticed.

I’m sorry.

As low and sad as I feel on this serene morning in my quiet and peaceful surroundings, I want you to know I believe there is still hope for this world, and I beg you to hold onto it. I hope you will both do your parts to make this world a better, more loving, more tolerant place.

I want you to spend the majority of your time LIVING your life rather than watching it on TV or your phone. I want you to continue to recognize bigotry when it presents itself to you and implore you to reject hateful, judgmental and degrading acts or speech. I want you to be prepared to defend yourself and others against these things. If you are rejected, I want you to understand why and realize it was not the right option for you. I want you to find a peaceful path that not only makes you happy but also makes the world a better place.

Be kind to the earth. Continue to recycle and pick up trash when you see it. When you buy your next cars be sure they are fuel efficient. Conserve water. Install solar panels on your future homes. Grow food. Take care of your bodies and maintain healthy diets—heavy on the veggies, my dears. And should you have your own children one day, please take my mother’s best advice and just LOVE them.

I don’t know what the next four years will bring to the citizens of this country and the world in which we live, and I don’t think I want to spend any more time trying to guess. I was so wrong in my predictions and so let down by my community. So, I’m going to get back to focusing on my lovely little lucky life and the family I love so dearly—especially the two of you.

All my love,
Mom