It has been two days since America voted and found out who their President-Elect would be. Two days since a happy and joyous moment for some and two days since a nightmare came to life for others. It is safe to say that these two days have been raw and tiring for all. It is valid to say that some people feel their views are being attacked while others feel their very rights as an individual are being stripped away from them. What is not valid, my friends, is the disregard and cruelty towards peoples' coping mechanisms and emotional responses.
I have noticed that more disrespect and cruelty has been directed towards the reactions of people who opposed Donald Trump than those who voted for him. People are being told that their reactions are unconstitutional, childish, invalid, or wrong. That is simply not okay.
You are allowed to be scared. You are allowed to be sad. It is your right as an American to feel angry and/or hopeless. You are legally allowed to protest, to post as many Facebook posts as your heart desires, and to cry. You are not childish and you are not disrespectful. You are picking up your pieces and piecing them back together in whatever manner gives you solace and that is okay.
You are valid in your need to protest and scream at the top of your lungs as well as the need to crumble into a ball and cry until you can cry no more. We live in a country where you have a right to feel and no one can take that away from you.
We have all responded to this election and the results in our own way. Personally, I am in denial. I refuse to call him President-Elect. I only refer to him as Trump, I rarely even say Donald. I am avoiding thinking about a future with him as a leader at the moment because it is how I choose to process.
We are all allowed to process. We are within our rights to feel and explain our feelings but it is truly inexcusable to invalidate a person's reaction by claiming that it is unconstitutional, childish, or wrong.
Be kind, but take no bullshit from people who try to invalidate your feelings.