Many of us feel like a part of our country died on November 8. We mourn deeply and we grieve. It's doesn't just hurt that she lost. It's how she lost and to whom.
We are blue and we grieve...
We grieve because we know too well the pain of seeing your candidate win the popular vote, while still losing the presidency.
We grieve because we felt such hope for our country, only to watch it stripped away by hate.
We grieve for those elderly ladies who joyfully voted for the first woman president, only to lose to a man known for his sexism.
We grieve because we so wanted to tell our girls that they could be anything they wanted to be, even president.
We grieve that the lessons we tell our kids about being smart and kind are undermined by the man who got elected.
We grieve for our compromised media who failed us as they focused on pettiness and personalities, fake polls and gossip.
We grieve for those who feel such despair that they think a reality TV star can save them.
We grieve for those who felt intimidated and who might have been too scared to vote.
We grieve for what might have been if only the FBI Director hadn't released that vague memo that was used for political grandstanding.
We grieve that civility has been lost in a country we love. Where the winning side is gloating and taunting even after the election is over.
We grieve because we now look at some fellow citizens suspiciously, wondering if they are the haters.
We grieve because we women all crave validation and equality in the workplace, and we see that it is still too elusive.
We grieve for the school kids who are bullied because of their dark skin or accent.
We grieve for our Muslim friends who are now scared to wear their traditional garb for fear of persecution.
We grieve for our Jewish friends who heard fellow Americans applaud the holocaust and its horrors.
We grieve for our friends abroad who reached out to us, feeling hopeless and scared.
We grieve for the utter disdain of facts, laws, and science.
We grieve for the planet whose melting glaciers pour tears into our oceans.
We grieve for Hillary, who worked her heart out traveling thousands of miles listening to communities and thinking of ways to help make our country and world better.
We grieve for the Obamas who showed grace, decorum, and goodness and whose very legacy is now in jeopardy.
This grief is shared by millions of broken hearts from my young girls and mother-in-law, to my husband and our friends. It is palpable and immediate. Yet we who are so blue will not remain so. We will rise up. We are not out-of-touch elitists, but rather industrious and concerned citizens. We are resilient and purposeful. Our candidate Hillary taught us so much about this and while we grieve now, we will give back, hopefully sooner than later.
Rebecca Kraus is a content strategist and creative consultant. After working in entertainment journalism and games design in Los Angeles, she moved to Seattle seeking new adventures. For a whole host of businesses, she writes branded copy, provides digital strategies, and helps develop products. She also blogs about parenting, politics, food, and frivolity. Enjoy her website.