Election Day 2016 Feelings

Voting today did something for me that I didn’t quite expect. I went into it feeling a tiny bit indifferent, overwhelmed, and maybe even a little bit confused because all of the lashing out that it’s caused between people on social media who otherwise love each other, but also knew that everyone would be okay afterwards and I don’t like to get involved.

I didn’t know if I would get to vote because I had lost my license and Tom was late coming home from work. I didn’t know if I was going to get my chance to do it, and I was starting to try to just be okay with it. But it still wasn’t sitting right with me. Then, I had a thought about where my license might be. I checked, and there it was. Tom went and voted after work and got back with just enough time for me to run to our voting station.

As I walked into the building, there were some stairs that we had to walk up to get to the station. There was a Young adult on crutches, making it up stair by stair. I know it’s a silly thing, but I thought about how great it was, his desire to get up there to vote, even though it wasn’t convenient. I thought about how blessed we are, no matter how everyone is viewing the candidates, to be able to vote. A privilege which I had almost forgotten how much I am so grateful for.

The man greeting us at the polling station was so friendly. And so were all the people there who were filling out ballots. I joked with the guy next to me that I was starting to sweat filling in the bubbles on the paper, because it felt a lot like taking a test. We laughed and I just thought about how unifying doing something like this is.

I saw neighbors, friends, and strangers, and loved them all. I didn’t care who the people that were sitting at my table we’re voting for. In fact, if one of them hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known and would still have loved them. There was a love and a bond with the people there through the basic fact that we are Americans.

No matter the results, we are Americans. And it hit me so hard and filled me with love. It made me feel something. Now, I’m totally capable of feeling things, but there’s this thing that I think of as “busy mom brain.” And when you have it, sometimes you’re focused on so many things, menial tasks, things to be done, washed, who needs to be picked up next? Important things, but also lots of little things that can flood the mind and cause you to become a little bit numb. So I always love little moments like this that make me stop, think, and feel.

And then I thought, this is what we fight for. This is what people like my dad have fought for. This is why they spend years at a time away from their family as brave soldiers. To give us this right, and a plethora of other rights that so many others don’t have, that we simply take for granted. I’m grateful for the tender mercies that let me have that experience. God bless America!❤️

XO

S.C.