30 Days of Thanks: November 4, 2020

There have been moments today that this day has felt like the longest day of 2020 yet as my children and I have reloaded and stalked election maps all day. As of 10:25pm eastern there is no winner declared in the election, and while my family remains hopeful that there will be an outcome come morning, we also know that this is just the first step in the process. What a day it has been and the conversations I have had with all of these kids of mine.

When I was their ages (13, 12, 11, 9) I don't recall being this interested in politics. We have discussed the electoral college, the inconsistencies with it, the popular vote and differences in voting this year in comparison to previous years. We discussed voting rights and that evolution. When I hear them whine and make statements about sore losers I try to remind them that not everyone is taught to be gracious loser, and that it is just as important to be a gracious winner. I remind them that people can act irrationally when their dreams, goals, and visions do not happen in the manner in which they want. I also remind them that it is ok to fight and stand-up for your beliefs, but it is also important to listen with an open mind and heart to the opposers. There is always something new to be learned, even with your opposition. 

All of these leads me to my point of gratitude for today: inquisitive children. There are moments like these when I have the ability to be thankful for kids that are engaged in things outside of themselves, that they can reflect on the bigger picture. We discussed the impact of laws and government on people who are not privileged like us, who do not look like us, have a family like us, beliefs like us and the differences between urban, suburban and rural. They may not have understood all of the concepts, but they listened attentively and asked questions, formed their own opinions and shared them. All of this from us studying the blue and red maps. They were able to see the differences between rural and urban voting and the importance of balancing these so that each vote counts. These inquisitive children blew my mind, and today I am grateful for their inquisitive minds.