Grateful

 

• I’m grateful that on election day, my cousin gave birth to a healthy baby girl with chubby cheeks and a family that loves her and will protect her.
• I’m grateful that my mom’s surgery went well and she gets to start physical therapy soon.
• I’m grateful that my parents and grandparents are healthy, and that even though I live 5,000 miles away they have people nearby to support them.
• I’m grateful that I live in a country where I can experience a socialized healthcare system – for all its incredible benefits as well as flaws. Because it’s looking less and less likely that I will have this privilege in my home country any time soon.
• I’m grateful that it’s the season of mulled cider.
• I’m grateful that I’m in a relationship with someone who is interested in my country’s political process and how it affects me, personally. Who listens to, learns from, and respects my voice as a woman.
• I’m grateful that I’ve found a music group to participate in. Our rehearsal space is on a pier with a view over the ocean.
• I’m grateful for the post-election dialogue on Facebook. I get a bit of anxiety each time I scroll through, but I nevertheless feel blessed to have such intelligent, eloquent, thoughtful, passionate and critical friends and family.
• I’m grateful for Michigan maple syrup and strong ground coffee that arrived in a package on my doorstep last week.
• I’m grateful that nobody I know personally has experienced a hate crime in the last four days. **update 12 hours after I posted this: no longer true**
• I’m grateful that people are spreading awareness of hate crimes, and I have faith that there are still many, many people in my country who will stand up for what is right.
• I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to live in a country where women get paid maternity leave, the idea of paying for birth control is incomprehensible, police don’t carry guns, healthcare is available no matter what’s in your bank account, the second female prime minister is in power, and still people discuss, organize, mobilize, and take action for greater human rights, social support, and global cooperation.
• I’m grateful that the morning after the election, my British colleagues were sensitive and curious instead of finding it humorous.
• I’m grateful for the Americans who work in the same building as me, who stopped in the hallway and shared a moment of compassion with me on Wednesday. Who reassured me that our fear was legitimate, and who gave me hope.
• I’m grateful for my experiences over the last year working with vulnerable people – and the increased knowledge and compassion this has granted me in terms of understanding political issues on immigration and refugees.
• I’m grateful for yoga, and deep breaths, and familiar running routes through the dog park.
• I’m grateful that I got to see my role model of more than two decades run a graceful and intelligent campaign for President.
• I’m grateful for the 2008 campaign poster hanging on my Michigan bedroom wall, and the 2016 campaign poster hanging on my English bedroom wall, because each time I look at them I’m reminded not to give up. To get up and fight again – because even if the fight doesn’t get easier, the battle itself is progress.

 

Sarah xx