What Could Have Been

My Facebook memories this morning reflect hope, optimism, and confidence.

I don't want to see tomorrow's memories.

It was three years ago today that we voted for the most qualified person ever to run for President of the United States. A woman whose mantra begins "Do all the good you can . . . ."

"We've got this," we thought. "We've got this," we said.

But we were mistaken.

Now we are heading into the last year of our national nightmare. Three years in which countless tweets have insulted countless individuals. In which our standing in the world has crumbled. In which women have worked and fought to hold onto rights that should be unquestioned, unchallenged. In which children have been separated from their parents and caged until they could be shipped off to placement with unknown people in unknown places. In which a lewd, rude, narcissistic, racist man has continued to put himself, his family, and his cronies ahead of the nation he promised to lead. In which our National Parks are increasingly threatened. In which a Swedish schoolgirl knows and understands more about the devastation that is happening to our planet than the President of the United States does. I could go on. And on.

And so we enter the last year of this horrible presidency. It is going to be a rough year in which the Democratic candidates will demean each other in order to put themselves front and center. In which Mr. Trump will insult, lie about, and castigate all of them. In which families, already split, will become further divided.

How can we bear it?

I've thought about her so many, many times during these three years. I remember the one glimpse I had of the inauguration. Seeing her on the platform, I thought (and said), "I wish I'd had the foresight to invite her to lunch today. Then she wouldn't have to be there. How can she bear it?"

She bore it. She bears it. And so shall we. 

The upcoming months will be brutal, and we will bear it. This woman for whom my admiration only continues to grow has shown us that we can.

In due time, a candidate will emerge as the one to defeat the incumbent. Once again, we'll have hope, optimism, and confidence. And we will work as hard as we can to see her or him elected.