Zoe and Finneas,
I have not been very good about writing in your blog. You are both changing so fast and things just run by so quickly.
Zoe, you are in your second season of softball and you are making amazing gains in playing the game, both in field and out. You hit the first 3 balls that were every thrown at you and although it is not always that easy, and sometimes it makes you incredibly frustrated and brings you to tears, you always bring your A game and get it done. Zoe, you have also taken on horse riding and everyone tells you how confident you are at siting on a horse. This fall will bring fun times as you do your first show and your first parade. "Firsts" are a big thing and such change should be embraced full on. You do this with grace and poise.
Finneas is excelling in math and reading at such a fast pace. Finn, it is amazing to watch you take on numbers, typically in your head, without pause. You are asked to make homework problems and suddenly you have 5 digit numbers, 4 rows deep and you add it all up in your head. You keep working hard on this, always pushing yourself. You have an insatiable need for new information and I know you will keep on it.
I'm writing to you, about 24 hours after I found out that Hillary Clinton didn't win the elected by our nation to be our president. I do not deny, like the majority of Americans, that we all worry about the election of an official who lives to stir up hate and fear. And worst of all, those of us who did not elect him now live in fear. Yesterday I wrote:
"I am in mourning, cried until I couldn't. But I vow to make my friends and family safe, to remind the world we are not one man, we are a land of millions of individuals. He will just be a bad reality show that keeps playing. I am hoping the government our forefathers built will keep him from tearing down everything we all believe. We've had puppets before. All lives are precious regardless of gender, culture, beliefs, race. We must all work so much harder to show that even the US can fall prey to bad internal problems, but we are not that one person. I stand with all the broken hearts. To my international friends, remember he is just one man, not the entire population."
I'm including this on your blog, because at sometime you will read this and I want you to be reminded how your dad and I have tried to teach you the things we hold dear and valuable, but really, you already had these things. You both value other people, friends or family, regardless of gender or culture. Everyone is different, we all respect that.
The thing I've learned most about myself over the last 24 hours is how important it is not to embrace fear, not to let hate of others win. We need to work really hard to love everyone and every living thing. We need to spread that love and hope. We need to be positive, see the silver lining. I can no longer moan about the pending distruction some see in the newly elected officials. Change will be afoot, and we need to help direct it, seed it and care for it carefully.
My favorite quote: "You can not laugh and be afraid at the same time", Stephen Colbert
So if you find yourself embracing fear, find some reason to laugh and love. You know you are both my sunshine, the lights in my life, for which I do everything and anything. If I get blue, I just try to remember the funny silly things you say, look at your artwork, your creations, your dino world, and I know that as you are our future, everything is going to be okay.
You both make me smile, you make me happy.
I love you both so much.
Love,
Mommy
