As time moved inexorably toward the elections, I kept telling myself to buckle up. I thought there would be fights, not necessarily physically, but people contesting the elections, for example. But I thought that when the dust settled, we would have some of the people in place, in some of the branches of government, who wanted to help the "little guy" - not just the poor (that too!), but the everyday working men and women, the retired, and the former service men and women - more than "helping" the billionaires.
When I was in sixth grade, I first learned about the three branches of government, which were designed as "checks and balances": the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. I learned that these three were in most levels of government: states and cities, for example, but we mostly learned about them in the federal government.
These three branches have served us mostly well for many years. I was a Republican for many years, but I don't think I ever envisioned having Republicans in the presidency, and in the majority in the Senate, and (it's looking like maybe it will be) in the House as well, and - additionally - having Republican-appointed judges in a strong majority on the Supreme Court...all three branches weighted heavily in one direction.
But now, on top of that, we have a particular brand of Republican - not meaning the average persons in their homes but in leadership - who has spoken and demonstrated a disregard, at times, for some of our other checks and balances and protections, and for the rule of law.
It's not a time for panic - well maybe for a day or two - but it is a time for action and planning.
Know that there will be people working and organizing peacefully to help keep things afloat and stable, and to help the marginalized. I've already heard from some of them (not heard from them personally, but in speeches or posts).
I'm going to recommend several things.
First, let's keep our faith in humanity and, particularly, faith in the good God. Whatever faith anyone has, and whatever happens, know that it isn't God who hurts people, but often poor choices on the parts of men and women. In our darkest moments, God is there for us if we call on him. He can console us and guide us and help us to know our worth. And we can do that for others too.
Second, community. Don't be hesitant to help in small ways, thinking it's not enough. We give five dollars a month to one local outreach, and yesterday, I received a call thanking us for that monthly donation. I had almost thought it was too little to be significant, but it's the power of multiplying, like the multiplication of loaves and fishes. Okay, that was a little different, as it was an actual miracle; except that yes, actually, Jesus did start with small amounts of food. So, that's what I'm talking about. Small amounts of help are still help, and they can be multiplied miraculously by God or humanely by people working together (or both). We can also help our communities by physically doing something for someone or taking action with others to get them what they need.
Third, health. We can do everything in our power to get the medical care we need and to help others to do so. But, since some things in medical care could change a bit, what can we do for prevention or improvement of our health? The past few days I've been taking a moment to indulge. But going forward, can we eat healthier? Can we get more exercise? What does that look like? Walking outside on nice days? Walking in a store when the weather isn't as good? Doing those stretches and weight bearing exercises at home that we like to avoid? I'm sure what we can do is different for each of us.
Fourth, frugality. One of my rules of thumb has always been that if I don't know what the future holds, I try to look at how I can be more frugal. Where have I been spending that I can cut back a bit? Interestingly, some of those things where we can cut back might also help with health, such as over-indulging in sweets, as well as smoking, drinking (doesn't have to be alcohol, could be coffee), etc. Sometimes, it's looking over the grocery receipts and figuring out where we can get the best buys on different kinds of foods.
Fifth, hobbies. I'm thinking here of frugal hobbies, maybe even hobbies which are productive, although they don't have to be. Sewing, knitting, or crocheting, building or repairing little household things, and gardening can all be productive hobbies (and there are many others!). But it's also helpful to practice art and recreation, just for our spirit, whether sketching, painting, singing, playing an instrument, playing a sport for fun or any number of other things.
If you've gotten this far, you might be thinking (if you're a Republican), what is she worried about, or (if you're a Democrat), how is all this going to help?? My own question would be more: How much is this going to help? And I honestly don't know. But some of the things I've listed here are how some of our ancestors survived and, just as importantly, helped others to survive during difficult times ("ancestors" sounds like so long ago, but I honestly mean just a few generations ago, like my parents and my grandparents). Also, the things I'm sharing can apply no matter who is in our government positions.
Now, when it comes to organizing to help specific groups of people who may be challenged or hurt in the days going forward, I don't know the answers. But that's why "community" was my second topic. When we find others who want to help or are already helping, sometimes they already have the ideas and the know-how and experience and can help us know how to help. Depending on our own circumstances, we are all called to different things, but let's take a moment to be open to what callings we might pursue.
Let us be brave, be generous, and go forward with hope and love.
