A different perspective in the aftermath of the election . . .

Photo by Jaki Jean

I woke up last Wednesday morning devastated, dismayed, & ranting. 

And then I remembered a friend, a family & their extended family grieving over the loss of a young man who chose to take his own life.

So I prayed, again, for the family, for this young man's friends, & for my friend who has been connected to the family for three generations.

While I appreciate the importance of this election, of any election, I was reminded of what is important.

Connection, family, faith, hope, inclusion & belief. 

Outside of the election, we have had, in the house that my parents Jack & Jean built, incredibly complicated electrical problems.

Not a national & world issue, but our issue. 

I woke up on Monday before the election to a dark room (a different darkness than Wednesday morning).  My mother Jean’s air mattress was deflated.  My brother Jason & I got her up with the Hoyer lift & lifted into her reclining wheel chair.

During the time that passed & we had one outlet with power, Jean was, as always, a trooper.  She never complained.  As things progressed, I kept her updated.  We had one TV operating & internet access, cable for a few hours.  One lamp & flashlights.

 My sister Janet, the true hero of our journey with Jean, arrived. 

When I first called Janet, she asked if I checked the breakers.  (We did).  She asked if I had used an outlet tester.

I said no, I don’t know what an outlet tester is.  (I know, I am pitiful.)

When Janet arrived, Jean was reading Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend,”  & I was watching another episode of “The Crown.”  My sister took my car, which is really hers, to replace a tire that went flat over the weekend. 

In the aftermath & difficulty getting back power to the house, I did not notice exactly what my sister Janet did about that tire.

Oh, I witnessed how hard she fought with our energy provider for an emergency bypass (I always explain to people that Janet is more fierce than I can ever hope to be). 

The bypass was finished in the early evening.  (Janet is really effective.)

The next morning, I looked at the tires on the car my sister gave me & saw I had four new tires, a fifth one in the trunk, & a full tank of gas.

Overwhelmed, I wept.  Later that afternoon, when I thanked her, I broke down & she hugged me. 

In that moment, all was right with the world.

This is what matters.  In light of all that happened last Tuesday, in the midst of what so many of us view as potential chaos & destructive change & the divisive results, this is what matters.

Our families & connection.  A respect & inclusion of & for the Other.  Our faith & our hope for another day.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Psalm 30:5 –

Weeping may endure for a night,

But joy comes in the morning.

The Psalm does not promise that joy or celebration or that relief will come tomorrow morning. 

But it does give us the promise of a different perspective & understanding & hope.

Photo by Nita Gulbas