$#!t happened here yesterday. It happens around the world every day so it shouldn’t be a shock. But it is.

We can be thoughtless and disrespectful. Cruel and violent. We can be so easily conned. We often are.

We can build walls. We often do.

Persevere

We can also be generous and inclusive, caring and helpful. We can tear down walls. We can build bridges. We can break through to the other side. We often do.

In order to form a more perfect union we have worked together very successfully. In the past fifty years, we have marched for and worked for and fought for social justice. We have achieved remarkable progress. We have done it in the name of liberty and justice for all. We have done it in the name of love.

Yesterday, we voted to let ignorance and fear of “other” stop the progress.

sigh.

We have so much more work to do.

We are profoundly saddened by this setback. We are confused, disappointed and frustrated. Cry if you need to. Vent. Hunker down for a while. Eat copious amounts of fair trade dark chocolate. Do whatever will be helpful in the short term to regain your balance. But do not be discouraged. Our children are counting on us not to give up.

Love trumps hate.

When you’re ready, let’s get back to work. We are in this together.