To my friends who are currently in emotional joy or pain:

May I offer a suggestion?

I promise it’s not mean.

I’ll even do it in Harry Potter metaphor for you - because honestly, how could I not?

Dear Muggles…many of you are hurting: many of you feel fear.
Those are very strong and powerful emotions.

Many of you right now are rejoicing: you feel you have won a great fight.

That is also a powerful emotion.

But emotions are good: Emotions are healthy.

Pixar has taught us that Disgust, Anger, Joy, Fear, and even Sadness have an important role and place in our lives.

Emotions left unchecked, however, can lead to horrible or even harmful actions.

Now…here comes the Potter analogy – as promised:

Harry’s 4^th year at Hogwarts was crazy, right? (Note: spoilers ahead for those few who haven’t read the books/seen the movies.)

After a highly stressful (and emotionally charged) competition, Harry was not only forced to watch the man who left him an orphan come back to corporal form, but also forced to duel with him - on an injured leg and after watching a fellow classmate die.
If he was feeling anything that night after landing back on the Quidditch field, it was emotion.

Lots and lots of strong and charged emotion.

But did those who cared about him simply leave him to cry about it? Did they just “give him his time” to mope?
No, not exactly.

The first thing that occurred (after he was rescued from yet another life-threatening scare) was his talk with Dumbledore. The headmaster, wise in his years, understood that “numbing the pain,” even just for a while, will only “make it worse when you finally feel it” (Goblet of Fire). Albus Dumbledore – someone who Harry both cared for and trusted – allowed him, even forced him to talk about it: privately and in the presence of his emotional buffer and confidant (Sirius Black).

And he did not interrupt – except when he needed further explanation for a better understanding of emotions/events.

It was only after Harry had spoken that he was allowed to sleep: and sleep he did! Though he had been injured that night physically as well, his stay in the hospital wing was purely for his emotional well-being. Those wounds that had been caused physically were cured instantly by magic, but he still needed to take the important time to recover inside as well.

Then, once he was a little more himself, he was able to make a more logically based plan with others who also felt threatened by the change that was about to happen (even those who might not be directly threatened – like pureblood Neville Longbottom – fought by the sides of those who were targeted by Voldemort’s hate-crime campaign).

Now, this suggestion of “healing” events is meant to be for those who are feeling any type of emotion right now – be it joy or fear, hatred or disgust, or especially sadness.

Sitting around and sulking in too much of any emotion (especially one heightened in moments of adrenaline or depression) can lead us down a spiral of regret. If we are not careful during this time, we can not only destroy a lot of really valuable relationships that many of us have had a long time, but we are also in danger of causing contention to rip through our nation – even enough contention to result in another war.

If you are in need of someone to talk to about how you feel – please seek out someone you care for, trust, and love – someone you know will listen.

Talk to them: spill your guts. Get it all out. But then allow yourself the time you need to recover before you make any rash decisions.
I understand that life doesn’t stop happening. I get that you can’t just take days off work to get back on your feet again – but being emotionally healthy is just as, if not more important than being physically healthy, and there is no shame in taking any free days you get (or in making the time yourself) to seek help. Do whatever necessary to talk to those who can help heal you – help to move you along life’s path enough to take the next step yourself (be it enjoying the race you feel you’ve won or fighting for those causes you feel to be threatened).

Please don’t use the internet as your outlet.

Social media has a way of amplifying the underlying emotions and spreading them like wildfire among the trees. Notice that Harry didn’t report everything that happened to the entire school – he just told Sirius and Dumbledore, followed by a select few family members and friends.

Emotional situations are much better handled when discussed one on one.

Now, if you don’t have anyone you feel you can turn to – please feel free to private message me. I will listen to anything you have to say, and I will always do my best to respect your feelings and your privacy.

There are also many professionals you can turn to – people who are literally paid to just sit and listen and help you sort out your mind. I am (obviously) a firm believer in this type of treatment, and there is absolutely no shame in ever admitting that you need it – especially to those of you who feel threatened right now.

Finally, I would just like to say to those who are feeling immense happiness and joy right now – please remember that some of your friends are not. Even if you don’t understand it, just be aware of it.

I’m not saying you have to go around and hug every single one of them. I’m not saying you have to be “careful” and watch everything you say. But be aware. If you cause offense, even unintentionally, be aware enough of their emotions to apologize. This was obviously more than just your usual election: this has been a very heated and extremely emotional year for all of us, and no matter what outcome would or could have happened Tuesday night, we were going to have scared and broken hearts on either side.

There has never been, nor will there ever be a president up for election who has not threatened the security and happiness of at least one citizen in their country: that’s just the truth of it. But the correct way to respond to that has never been to lash out at the citizens who voted for him (or her – had Hillary won), but rather to use those freedoms the constitution of this country protects – the freedoms that allow us to peacefully and yes, even publicly fight for our rights (or the rights of others).

If you decide to step across the lines of respect and turn to hate, violence, or any other crime that infringes on the constitutional or basic human rights of another, then you must expect to be punished by the law: politicians included.

Yes, I know this doesn’t always happen. Guilty people get away with crimes (especially hate crimes) every day. That is why we have the right to step out and speak against it, and the right to accuse those of crimes for which they stand guilty. We do NOT, however, have the authority to punish them ourselves. We can help alert the authorities to crimes, and we can even alert them to miscarriages of justice, but punishing others ourselves only ends with self-incrimination.

I’ll just end with this:

Right now, Obama is still our president.
Right now, we must continue to pray for and support him in his duty to protect and serve the American nation.

Come January, that duty will fall on Donald Trump.
I wish him all the help in the world. He will be the one standing at the helm of this ship – along with the members of congress and the supreme court who currently serve as well.

Wishing him ill is wishing ourselves ill.

If Donald Trump does, however, deliver on some of his promises (which up to this point are just a bunch of hateful words) then he should and hopefully will be punished by the law, same as anyone else, and I invite you all to exercise your constitutional rights to fight against such things happening.

This is why things like Impeachment exist.

This is why the system is set up the way it is: because humans are all imperfect, and thus we elect imperfect people to the presidency…and sometimes they cross a line.

And with that, I wish you all a good (and safe) night.

An open letter to the President of the United States of America

To President Barack Obama,

                I did not vote for you. During your initial campaign, I was still in high school and thus too young to vote; when you ran for re-election, I found that the change I wanted to see in this country wasn’t exactly the change you were promising to take with you to the presidential seat – so once again, I did not add my voice to those in your support.

                But never once, in the past 8 years, have I questioned your devotion to this nation. You have done your best to honor and serve the position you have held, and I have faith in your ability to continue to do so throughout the remainder of your days in office.

                We may agree on many issues, we may disagree on more – but my voice isn’t the only voice in this place I call home, and you have done your best to listen to the ones that are struggling far more than I. You have heard the cries of those in oppression and taken strides many would not take to bring them out of obscurity. I have a deep admiration for your ability to calm the crowd, to stand tall in affliction, and above all – to love, without prejudice.

                You stand where many, and yet few men have stood before – at the end of your road as our nation’s president. While few understand the burdens you’ve held, and even fewer the steps you’re about to take, I want you to know that you are not alone. We may be different – so very different – in our personal and our political beliefs; nevertheless – I am honored to have known a nation under you.

                You are not leaving behind a legacy of war. 

                Thank you. 

                You have not dislodged the important freedoms I hold most dear. 

                Thank you. 

                You have not cast people out, nor closed the doors to this nation of second chances. 

                Thank you. 

                You have striven to stand behind the Constitution of the United States – upholding its principles and laws to the best of your understanding and ability. 

                Thank you. 

                Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, you have stood by your family through thick and thin. You have understood that – be it blood, bond, or borders that bring us together – family, above all, comes first.

                There has been a sad legacy of infidelity with some leaders in our past – one that the stress of your job might, to some, excuse – but you have stood by your children and your wife, putting them first in all. Never once have I, nor the public, seen you neglect that role of father and husband: one that stands of much greater and eternal purpose than the role you will retire at the start of next year.

   You have always put us second, and your blood first, and for that, I am extremely grateful. You have shown a remarkable ability of devotion under the scrutiny of a public media eye looking for disgrace; for that I applaud you.

   Thank you for your limits – for being human, and accepting your faults.

   Thank you for showing your willingness to stand – accepting your role as a leader during difficult times.

   Thank you for sticking to those goals you cared about most – even, and especially when they were goals that were not met with universal approval.

   Disagreement is what makes this nation strong. The choice to even have a voice – in approval or dissent – is a freedom not all nations share; and that my voice can be heard without fear of imprisonment is something for which I will always be grateful.

   Perhaps I will never find my “perfect and ideal” president until I am the one walking through those oval office doors; Even then, I’m afraid I would greatly disappoint my expectations.

   For this, I am also grateful.

   I am grateful to live in a world where imperfect people are willing and able to serve those just as imperfect as they. I am grateful for change – for the chance to learn and grow from others, of a different race, culture, and belief. I am grateful to be a citizen of these United States.

Thank you, President Obama, for your years of service.

Thank you, President Obama, for the months that will come.

I am proud to have you in my country’s history.

Sincerely,

  A citizen of the United States of America

P.S.

             Don’t worry about Tuesday. It will come and go.

             No matter what happens, you have at least one voice here ready to support whoever fills your seat, regardless of whether or not they got my vote.