Today will be over before you know it. Don't waste it.
- Stephanie Mahoney
- Nov 8, 2016
- 7 min read
I have had the same conversation more than 4 different times in the past two days. It goes a little something like this:
Me: "Hey friend, how are you doing?"
Friend (A variety of the following responses): "Tuesday is giving me anxiety. I'm nervous.""I hate this year's election.""I seriously can't wait for Tuesday to be over. Couldn't we just go to bed on Monday night and wake up on Wednesday?"
It should've been no surprise to me to hear such responses given the general election coverage of the Presidential race. But what amazes me--no-- what astounds me is the number of people who truly are depressed about today and want it to be over with.
Yes- The focus of this election has been on the monumental decision of electing a new President of the United States and the eyes of the world are upon us.
Yes- This election has the capacity to decide the future of our children.
Yes- Shots fired between both political parties have been nasty, rude and embarrassing.
And yes- deep down, we all know that, as human beings, we are better than how we are acting. We know that in order to defend one candidate over the over, we could take the high road. But we don't. We mock another person and call them inferior simply because they have opinions with which we disagree. We know better, but we do it anyway.
So, perhaps persons feel depressed because, after taking some time to reflect, we see the country's divide and arguments for what they are. In an analogy: what was supposed to be a nice family dinner has turned into yelling and screaming at each other, with the children crying in the background, the food burning on the stove, the dog barking, someone storming off and leaving, hurtful statements and in the end: no one is talking to each other and nothing has been solved.
So, I get where the "wanting the election day to be over and done with" comes from. However, I encourage you to not wish the day away. The election is stressful, but today is a beautiful gift and an opportunity. I offer you some other perspectives if you find yourself wishing for today to be over.
-- Today you woke up. Congratulations! You are alive! According to Google, there are 6,316 people in the world that will die each hour today. Today is an opportunity be grateful that you have a chance to live, you know, like actually LIVE! You can go to work and make money to take care of your family. You can spend time with those you love. You can use the talents you've been given and create art, play sports, read a novel, bake a pie etc. Today is a gift- go live it.
--Today is election day. Go vote and take a moment to be grateful that you can. You live in a country that, by law, allows you to speak your mind, use your reason, consult your conscience and advocate for the persons that you believe have the best ability to govern our land on a local, state and national level. Actions speak louder than words, so don't just simply state your mind, speak with your ballot.
(Of course, I will add the caveat that you should first educate yourself about the candidates on your ballot before you go vote. I'm a Catholic, so I've found helpful resources from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as my own bishop, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades who has spoken on Faith in Politics and our duty as Catholics to be civically involved. You can find all the talks located here. If you're not Catholic and wonder what the Catholic viewpoint is on the economy/election, you should totally read this article from Bishop Rhoades called, "Pope Francis and Catholic Teaching on the economy." I was actually impressed with the Election tool that Facebook created for you to see who the candidates are on your local ballot and learn more about them. Click on Election 2016 to see more.)
--Don't add to the negativity. You can do a lot to make the world a better place if you start with yourself. If you are upset with all the negativity surrounding the election, take a hard look at yourself and make sure that you aren't adding to it. A little gossip here, judgement about another person's opinion there...these are the little sparks that can start a forest fire of negativity. But don't just look at from the perspective of how you are approaching the election. Expand that examination of self to include other areas of your life. How do you treat people who think differently than you do? Do you include them in discussions, or simply not invite them because you 'already know what they will say?' When was the last time that you just sat with a person who was struggling to hold their hand and show support? Perhaps it was just easier to watch from afar and comment on the 'bad decisions that got them into their mess in the first place.' Pope Francis introduced 6 new Beatitudes this month. One included, "Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized and show them their closeness." So, Papa Francis, you mean I have to be CLOSE to the marginalized? The ones that I don't like? The ones that make me uncomfortable?? Yes. The answer is always yes.
--Keep the negativity in perspective. Often the 'negativity' that is referenced are the words that come out of commercials, media reports and candidates themselves. It's difficult to watch. It's hard to understand how, as a country with such freedom, we could choose to be such a culture of unkindness. We have such a visceral reaction to this 'negativity' and yet, we overlook other 'negativity' that surrounds us every day (and has been there since before this election cycle.) In our country, there are children who go to bed hungry, homeless veterans that don't receive appropriate medical care, victims of abuse and rape who remain nameless while the perpetrators are not held accountable for their crimes, women who are sexually assaulted, people that are killed senselessly as a result of gang and drug-related activity and the list goes on and on. But you knew that already because you've seen a normal night's news broadcast. I'm not stating that you shouldn't be upset at the harmful rhetoric of this election. You should be. But people are literally dying in front of our very eyes and that should make you upset too.
--Finally decide to be the change. One of my favorite quotes is from Mahatma Ghandi who said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” You have probably heard a similar one attributed to him, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." (Thanks for the clarification NYTimes.) So if you are upset, let that emotion call you to the battlefield of our times. Perhaps you volunteer at a not-for-profit or maybe you enter as a candidate into an election you care about. Regardless of what it is, find something that will have impact and then DO IT.
--Remain hopeful and trust in God's mercy. One of the most profound days of my life was during my World Youth Day pilgrimage. It was the day that I walked through both the Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau camps in Poland, two camps of terror and genocide in the Holocaust. We prayed at spots throughout, including the building where Saint Maximilian Kolbe was martyred and outside the remaining gas chamber and crematorium.
At Birkenau, we walked along the train tracks on which hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting innocent captives arrived, including Saint Edith Stein. We could only walk in silence as we contemplated the incomprehensible evil and cruelty that took place there. My heart broke over and over as I walked and the feeling of despair kept a steady stream of tears on my face. It was important that we visited there to remember the Nazi terror and the over 1.1 million victims killed at Auschwitz, mostly Jews, but also Poles, gypsies, Soviet prisoners of war, and homosexuals. It was also important while there to pray for an end to the terrors that continue to plague our world.
Our pilgrimage of faith, love, and mercy had met the exact opposite at Auschwitz. But the horror of Auschwitz was not the end. Even through the terrors that the Holocaust victims experienced, there were still people who showed mercy and love (like St. Maximilian Kolbe & Edith Stein.) Cardinal Sean O'Malley shared that message with our group and 2,000 other young people from around the United States during a Mass at the Shrine of Divine Mercy. It was at this place that Sister Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, received the extraordinary grace of the revelations of Divine Mercy. (If you don't know the story, learn more here.)
The short message is: After reflecting on the darkness of evil at Auschwitz, we can turn to Jesus, who is the Divine Mercy, and know that His mercy is a light for the world amid the darkness. Evil can be overcome through merciful love. In the light of Divine Mercy, we can live in hope. In the words of Saint Faustina: “Mankind will not find peace until it returns with trust to God’s mercy.”
The Holocaust is an extreme example to use in a conversation about an election. However, it illustrates the point that God is bigger than any evil that is happening in the world. For those who feel despair today, you can find hope in Jesus, trusting in His love and His mercy.
--Pray. If nothing else on this list made sense to you and you wish that today would be over with- I would encourage you to see today as an opportunity for prayer.
-Pray for the people voting.
-Praying for those who will be elected.
-Pray for the courage to pray if it's been awhile. Start with something simple like "Thank you God that the Cubs won the World Series." You can go onto the serious topics from there, "It's been awhile since we've talked, but I gotta say, this country is a mess. Please, God, please help fix it." Don't worry about the words, God knows your heart. There are more prayers on the USCCB site here.
So, happy Tuesday! Enjoy your gift of a day and spread your gratitude for the ability to vote! Or perhaps, simply your gratitude for the awesome in your life! Share about your your family, your cat, your job, or maybe that omelette you had for breakfast. Today will be over before you know it. Don't waste it.
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