I won’t be afraid.

I feel traumatized a day after this 2016 election, but I won’t be afraid.

When the first state wins pointed to Trump, I just knew that Clinton was going to lose.  I cried, hard, at what this might mean for our country.  I stayed up as late as I could, watching the updates as one by one the states fell to Trump.

For the record, I wanted Bernie, but I was warming up to a Clinton presidency, mostly due to her policy intentions with regards to global warming and LGBT rights.

I woke up this morning to read that a thoroughly incompentent, xenophobic, racist, mysoginistic, orange, reality TV star just became president.  Though it sickened me, I am not surprised one bit.

I knew it was a possibility, but I was sincerely hoping I was wrong.

And what did I tell the children?

I sat each of my daughters down today before they went off to school and told them that I want them to continue to do what they have always done: to stand up for those who are bullied, to speak up when they see something wrong, to care for those who are being harmed by others.

That I will do everything to protect them from harm.

And I will teach them, as I always have

To love and to love and to love.

John 13:34

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

I may have turned away from my Catholic origins, but I have not turned away from this one simple command, which now brings me comfort.

We cannot fight hate with hate. We can only fight hate with love.

We cannot fight darkness with more darkness. We can only fight darkness with light.

This home will be a safe haven for anyone who needs it.

I will continue to raise my daughters to be loving supporters of Blacks, Muslims, LGBT, Native Americans, Mexicans and any other oppressed group of people.

All are welcome here in my home.

I will continue to teach my daughters to think for themselves, to stand up for themselves and their classmates in need.

I will teach them to seek understanding before making judgments.

I will teach them to maintain hope in the presence of fear.

I will continue to teach them to have compassion, even for those whose opinions they don’t agree with.

I want to say I’m scared. But I’m not. I mean, I was scared, yesterday.

But now, more than that, what I am is determined.

I am determined that despite this totally f-ed up situation, I will not let my daughters down.

I will love and I will love and I will love.

And if I see anyone being abused, I will fight for them. I will do what I have always done and intervene.

I will speak up. I will get between the abuser and the abused if I have to and I will make it stop. Just as I have in the past (numerous times).

I AM NOT AFRAID TO PUT MY REPUTATION OR MY LIFE ON THE LINE TO HELP SOMEONE WHO IS BEING MISTREATED.

I did not, can not, and will not turn a blind eye.

I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN and ALWAYS WILL BE A FIGHTER AND MY WEAPON IS

LOVE.