What It's All About

I am all atwitter with the excitement of Election '08 finally coming to fruition! It's about time, I say. Twenty-two months is a long time to endure all the theatrics, don't you think? Come tomorrow we'll have a new president-elect, like him or not.

I know we're all on the edge of our seats, waiting to see who that will be. I also know that when all is said and done, some will be exhilarated, others disappointed. It's the way of things; a win isn't really a win unless there's a loss. As I am fond of saying, all life is a circle, or some other not-really-applicable thing like that. No matter what, though, I am deeply moved by having the opportunity to cast my vote without fear getting shot, set on fire, or laughed at for wearing a dress. And then cast out with admonitions to get back to the kitchen where the women belong. This is rightly called a(n?) historical election, and I'm glad to have been a part of it.

My mother and I, who live on opposite sides of the political fence, had a conversation this morning that ended with the promise to keep loving each other no matter who won. Doesn't that sound precious? This was after an exchange in which she told me that if my party won, maybe me and my similar-minded sibs would just have to stay in the basement come Christmas. I told her that Jesus doesn't like us to argue over politics and she generously agreed, after which she told me that Jesus wants her party to win. So I told her that my heart was pure and that I was good and she was bad, and she followed up by telling me that I was out of the will. Okay, I made that last part up. But she could have said it, and I think that's all that really matters here. Hey, what we lack in conflict management, we make up for with good humor. Either way, we'll keep loving even other, even if we can no longer speak to each other.

I dramatize, of course. We have a long-standing tradition in my family to ignore the things we don't agree on, and this will be no exception. Also, I make the best Chex mix evuh so if she bans me to the basement over the holidays, none for her. Hear that, Queen Mum? Eh? That's what I thought.

(Speaking of which, mum has crept ever closer to being online. Technically, she can be online now anytime she wants. All she has to do is figure out how. We're working on it. I'll keep you posted.)

Whoever wins, I hope we never lose sight of the fact that we're all in this together. Together we stand, divided we fall is as true as it gets. Plus, Jesus doesn't want us to fight. I know. He told me so.