I’ve had many days to process my thoughts on the election. My anger, anxiety, sadness, and wine consumption over the election results hindered my life and work — and were even projected onto my son. But as an American and a mother, I have ultimately decided to accept Donald Trump as our new leader.
Why? Because ranting and sobbing and signing petitions to elect Hillary (which yes, I did), is not healthy. For any of us.
Hillary Clinton and President Obama want us all to give Trump a chance. They’ve said it themselves. And let’s face it — he’s being sworn in on January 21, so there’s basically no getting around it (unless you’re holding out hope for the electoral college vote on December 19). I don’t agree with many of his stances and especially fear Mike Pence, who thinks homosexuality is something that can be reversed through therapy and that gay couples signal the “collapse of society.” (Yes, really.)
However, I’m ready to work with Trump if that’s what I have to do to champion issues I’m passionate about. I’ve been to The White House and I’ve met with FLOTUS and I want to go back and help this country get a grip on school shootings and safeguard my child and yours as well as our educators.
So no matter who’s in The White House come 2017, I’m going take my school safety plan to the Hill. Because as far as I can tell, nothing is getting done about our gun problem in America, and these so-called background checks we currently have now are not working. The wrong people are still getting their hands on guns and using them for terrible reasons — and that needs to stop.
I cannot bear to interview another bereaved parent who lost a child to a school shooting. But I can initiate action. I can try.
And I will do my best to be heard. To advocate that all classrooms need better safety measures — from panic buttons and reinforced steel doors to latches that can easily slide against the back of a locked door, and more.
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I’m #StillWithHer and as a single mom, what a joy it’s been for my son to see a black president in office for eight years, who was raised by a single mom himself. How incredible it was to cast my vote for Hillary on Tuesday, with Jack at my side, explaining to him that women can do anything men can do. But Jack already knows that — I’ve been raising him alone since I was 11-weeks pregnant and his father walked out.
With all this said, what’s really starting to bug me is the constant Facebook posts that read: What do we tell our children?
I mean, really — we are grown adults. Figure something out.
As for me, I didn’t let my child watch too much coverage during the election cycle as it was. And no, he never once heard the phrase “grab them by the p*ssy.” I don’t think he feels Donald Trump is all that evil, because as his mom, I’ve shielded him from my feelings as best, I could.
But here’s what I did tell my 9-year-old son Jack on the ninth of November:
- Donald Trump is our President-elect. Hillary did not win.
- More Americans voted for Hillary, but the electoral college — a body of people representing the states of the U.S., who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president, overruled the American people.
- Yes, we are both supported by Obamacare that Mommy pays out of pocket for and even though President-elect Trump is going to change health insurance, we will always have health insurance because I am your mom. I am in charge of the adult things — the healthcare, the bills, the house — and you are in charge of being a kid.
- Here’s something cool: President-elect Trump has a son around your age. His name is Barron and he’s 10!
- First Lady Michelle Obama said something really inspiring during the campaign: “When they go low, we go high.” So, Jack, if you ever hear someone making fun of someone — the color of their skin, the scarf framing their face, or maybe about your friend’s two dads — you go high. You speak up and you defend our family values.
- I was up at 3 AM listening to Donald Trump make his acceptance speech. He said he will be a president for all the people. I hope he meant it, and I will give him the chance to prove it.
- In life, you are going to meet people you don’t agree with or like — and you have to understand that you will be faced with disappointments and setbacks, but that doesn’t mean you wave the white flag. In fact, today, we should wave the American flag, kiddo.
- One day you might hear the phrase “locker room talk,” and how it became infamous during this election. This is something terrible and something you will never engage in. You will respect women, because for 9 years you have woken up in a home and who has been there, Jack? Me. A woman. Your mother. Here. Alone. The person that keeps us going even when times were really, really tough. You will defend women. You will respect them.
- Always remember this: We are stronger together.
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