I don't have to tell you that the past couple of months have been consumed by politics. Anywhere you look, whether it be in the real world or on social media, somebody has something to say about the election.
But, here is the truth I found... if I loved you before the election, I still love you today. Too many people are letting the results of this election come between them. When in reality we don't all have to have the same views to get along. That is one of the beautiful things about humans, we're all different. Once you realize that you can focus your energy on living peacefully among others.
Now, many of my friends and I have radically different political views. I have friends that are extremely liberal feminist and I have friends that are proclaiming they are going to "Make America Great Again," - and this is OKAY. I've had friends at Trump rallies and friends that protested them. We have agreed to disagree. None of us are trying to push our opinions onto one another. Instead we are reminding one another why we became friends in the first place.
Think back to elementary school. Making a friend was as easy as complimenting somebody on their new shoes, to saying bless you when someone sneezed in class. The key was kindness. It is easy to get along with one another if everyone stays positive, hopeful, and above all open-minded. So, I urge you to try your hardest to KEEP POLITICS OUT OF RELATIONSHIPS if you think they will hinder and not help the bonds you have with other.
The day after the election, the world felt a little darker no matter what party you were on and social media was booming with both gloat and despair. Personally, I am not one to share my political views, but I decided to try to be a voice of reason and post this status on Facebook:
"This is all I am going to say about this election:
This is just a reminder... I love you all today, and I'll love you all for the next four years and then some. Do NOT let the results of this election negatively effect the relationships you have with others. Your friends and families views are THEIR views, and you have your own. We certainly do not have to agree, but we cannot be divided. I believe that no political party or PERSON for that matter is better than the other, just different. I hope with all my heart that others can see this and realize that we need to stay united.
Keep an open and positive mind, please... the world needs that from all of us right now. Share love and spread peace."As we move forward I hope this article resonates with all of you. I am surely not writing this to stir up controversy. Each of us have the freedom of speech so we are free to express how we feel on all topics, but we must try our hardest as a society to think before we speak and remember - love each other as if we still had the innocents of a child.