Today was incredible. Today was filled with many emotions for me.
Relief.
Peace.
Excitement.
But above all…hope.
I launched my blog a few weeks ago when I felt so helpless and didn’t know what else to do besides write. Two weeks ago our capitol building was attacked by an insurgence led by hate and lies. Two weeks ago was scary.
But today, today was such a juxtaposition to that moment in time. Today I cried tears of relief, of joy, of excitement; today were tears of pure happiness.
Four years ago I cried, but for a very different reason. In my gut I knew what was coming, what was about to happen to the sense of safety and security many of us felt for the previous eight years. These last four years for many of us have been hell. Of all varying degrees, pure hell. For those of us that have anxiety, it was four years of constant worry, anxiety attacks, sleepless nights and dread. But these four years were a wakeup call to those of us who chose to believe that evil doesn’t exist. As much as it pains me to say this, these last four years had to happen. We exposed the deep rooted extremism and racism that so many in this country choose to ignore. We exposed how nothing is certain and how quickly things can change. But we also uncovered how united we all can be.
Today on the same steps of our nations capitol where terror threatened the home of our democracy, justice and peace prevailed. Today our nation starts fresh, today we enter into a season of healing. I was overcome with emotion watching our newly sworn in President and first ever Madam Vice President. Today was a beautiful day.
The realism in all of this however, is things won’t change overnight. There is still much we need to overcome as a nation, our new administration has a lot of work ahead of them. There is a lot that needs undone, polices that need revisited and division that needs unified. We have a tough but hopeful season upon us. We can no longer sweep issues under the proverbial rug and we can’t expect things to just go away.
Today was such a metaphor for life. Life is hard, it’s messy. There will be seasons of hardship, of fear and ultimately awakening. Growth and healing take time, it is not achieved overnight. As I share stories of myself and others I think it’s vitally important to remember that we are all embarking on our own stories of growth and change, much like was demonstrated for our nation today. Never ever give up. Never lose hope. We struggled as a nation for four solid years. No matter where you are in your struggle or triumph in life please remember to never ever give up. Never lose hope. Keep growing and keep healing.
I will leave you with the words that poet Amanda Gorman spoke today at the inauguration, she said,
“The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it,
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Be brave in everything you do. Be brave for you.
xo
Emm
Emm Being Extra 