This has been a good and bad year. When you look at our immediate family and friends, work and school, we have had a good year. Your dad and I both have good jobs with good companies. Your school seems to be doing well for now, although we have a new principal and much transition. Your grandparents are hanging in there with no major health problems, and you two are making close friends at school with good kids who have good parents.
And now for the bad parts.
Numero Uno, is that someone unqualified and who turns out is not a nice person AT ALL ran for President. We thought there would be no way on Earth he could get elected. He is someone who's been rich all his life and therefore has no way of knowing what it's like to be poor. He threatens certain groups of people, like immigrants and especially Muslims. He talks of making cuts to all kinds of government programs that help poor people, he is disrespectful towards women (to say the least), and has been seen on camera making fun of disabled people. And on my biggest issue of concern, Global Warming, where we are already years behind on slowing down greenhouse gases and working on conserving endangered animals and plants, he doesn't even believe it's a real threat.
Until this year, I always thought of the President of the US being someone I would want my kids to strive to be like, it didn't matter if they were Republican or Democratic. Even though I do not agree with certain Republican ideals I still have respected past Republican presidents. Now that this person has actually been elected I am shocked, saddened, disgusted and really haven't been able to make myself recognize him as my President. No. Just no. There are many reasons people are throwing around as to why he managed to get elected - some I agree with and some I don't. It doesn't really matter HOW THIS HAPPENED now as much as what do we do during the next four years to not go insane and give up on life.
Here's my PLAN FOR SANITY:
1. Stop listening to news except in the mornings while getting ready for school/work.
2. Start to limit social media to once or twice a week. Stay in touch with friends by actually talking to them, writing letters and sending pics.
3. Pick some sites I like and check articles every now and then. (Momastry, Upworthy, Rolling Stone)
4. Sign up for updates from favorite charities - IEAS, Humane Society, Nature Conservancy of TX, Ocean Conservancy, WWF, National Parks and Wildlife. Give to them as often as possible and try to spread the word about good things they are doing.
5. Try to get lots more exercise - we need all the good endorphins we can get.
6. Spend lots of time with family and friends, cook together, play games, have a joke contest, talent show, etc...
7. Keep giving donations of food and clothes to Eastside Ministries or other local charities, pay attention in Mass for coat drives or other ways to help the needy.
8. (this is hard one) Keep up with what is going on in the Presidency, write letters regarding issues you are for or against, send emails, make phone calls to anyone holding office. DON'T JUST SIT AND STEW. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD (awesome quote from Mahatma Ghandi - sometime in your teens watch the movie Ghandi, it will change you).
We also lost SO MANY great artists this year - it was like a plague descended upon the music that was my soundtrack in high school:
Music is such a big part of our lives that I have to list those losses first:
Prince and David Bowie, Glenn Frey (of the Eagles and solo work), and now George Michael. Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire ("OUR song - September); Leonard Cohen, Canadian artist whose song lyrics read like poetry (look them up, then listen to his songs); Leon Russell, who wrote and sang one of my top 3 songs: A Song for You (read lyrics and listen). Also music legend Merle Haggard (get to know his music, this is REAL country), and Guy Clark (even more REAL country than Merle Haggard, and a Texan), and Ralph Stanley, bluegrass music king (the most REAL of them all).
Actors: Alan Rickman (who so excellently portrayed Snape in the Harry Potter movies); Gene Wilder (Willie Wonka and many other wonderful movies); Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies); her mother Debbie Reynolds (Singing in the Rain star).
Politics: Shimon Perez, who was an advocate for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and a light that the world needs right now; Janet Reno, 1st female attorney general; Fidel Castro (Cuban leader - read up on him and human rights atrocities in Cuba and all throughout communist countries);
Sports: Muhammed Ali, one of your dad's favorites
And many, many others.
And time to realize that the reason so many of these hit us so hard is that we are also getting older and have to start thinking about how much time we've been here and how much time we have left, and make the absolute best of it.
So we will welcome 2017, hope for the best and keep living our lives full of love.
