Oaks and I had a little post mama date watch party last night while Dad and Noah were at camp. I wish I had “selfied” us watching the election results roll in. If you watched, you know, it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. While it can be stressful for grownups, because there’s so much on the line, I’m learning that it’s not only fun for kids to get involved.
It’s incredibly important.
Even if it still only feels like some sort of game to them right now, it’s a bonding moment between us. Elections open the door in our home to let your thoughts, and opinions be spoken and your voice be heard, even when we don’t all agree. They create a safe and empowering environment to think for yourself and share open discourse about what others think and really listen to why they think the way they do. The discourse elections bring set the table for each of us to have an opinion at the beginning of the campaign, that can change along the way. You can have a voice on your journey, even while you don’t understand fully.
Your opinion is free to develop and change along the way.
We’re not perfect parents by any stretch. I’m sure we’re doing a lot of things wrong. I’m sure there will be some we’ll look back, and wish we’d done differently. But the spirit of openness during these crucial campaigns and elections that we are working to foster feels like a victory of the soul to me.
“There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.” ~ Elie Wiesel
If a Holocaust survivor and political activist who made it his life’s work to bear witness to the genocide committed by the Nazi’s in WWII, can learn to speak peace profoundly enough to become a Nobel Laureate, all while denouncing indifference, and insisting we take sides, I know we can too.
Those, are the victories of the soul.
In times like these, even if you lose, you can win.
to more love,
Crystal
