The Next Four Years {A Parenting Perspective in an Age of Political Upheaval}

When I heard that Donald Trump was going to be our President, I was not happy. In fact, I was devastated. One of the first things that went through my head, as I am sure it did for many of you who feel as I do, was "Gee, I hope the next four years go by really quickly." And then, that thought circled back and stabbed in me in the heart as I sat there, looking down at my daughter who is two and a half.

The truth is that I am not happy about our political climate. I am worried about the fact that approximately 27% of our country elected a man who 100% of us have to live with. There will be changes-- perhaps not all of them bad--but the way things are looking right now, it seems like we're in for a needlessly wild ride. Our institutions of democracy and decorum are under attack. Our press is being hogtied. And to top it off, our world representative is a thin-skinned tweeter-in-chief. The stage is set.

And yet, as worried and plausibly frightened as I am, I don't really want the next four years to fly by. I have one child. One beautiful, crazy, and very bright child, that I am having a lot of fun raising. I want to savor those moments and be able to enjoy them. I don't want to wish them away because once they are gone, they are only memories.

I know that we have to fight. I understand that it's going to be important to be abreast of the politics that are happening. But we also can't forget to LOVE. How we love is perhaps even more important than how we fight. I know that I've been a little here and there with my blog these days, but I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know what they can expect of me the next four years....

Expect some more good food. Listen, I know these past years I haven't cranked out as many recipes. But I have been cooking, I swear. I have been dairy free for a number of years now (due to lactose intolerance) and I am working on more Italian-American recipes that don't include cheese. It's been a little rough. But, when I am not coming up with new recipes on here, you can also see old posts that I will push out on my Facebook Page.

Expect more political posts. It's going to happen. I am invigorated in ways I never have been before, and I am going to need to talk about the way that effects me as a person, what we can do, and the ways in which I see the important lessons this brings up as a parent. HOWEVER, I promise to be KIND in the process. We all get fired up about this stuff, but we are all entitled to our beliefs. I intend to be accountable to this promise of remaining respectful and kind, and I hope you will too!

Expect the truth. I am truth teller. It don't care if we talking about my unabashed love of cheap sprinkle cheese or women's rights. I'm gonna be hitting you with the truth, no holds barred, no bullshit.

Expect joy! Listen, I don't care how bad things get, I have to live in a place of joy, and I hope that this is something that we can all do together. Don't surrender your happiness. Watch your babies grow and revel in it. Eat great food. Enjoy the company of others. Share IT! I say this (mostly) as a reminder to myself. I want to really embrace life, and not feel so addicted to the issues. There is a time for everything, even especially joy.

Expect action. I'm not going to exclusively be busy sitting behind my computer and telling y'all a bunch of rhetoric. I do hope the things I share will be useful, practical, and perhaps even thought-provoking. But for the love of god, I am sick of talk without the walk. I'm going on the ground in my community and helping in any way I can. Whether my friend has a baby and I bring her meals, or I working toward passing a referendum in the local school district--I'm getting in the game! Batter UP!

WHAT I ASK OF YOU: 

If you're steppin' in what I'm putting down, here is what I ask of you. Be passionate. Create your own guiding list like this (hell, share it with us, if you want to!) Engage in meaningful conversations with the people around you, especially if you have different opinions. Be respectful of others and when you interact online, be kind. Be thoughtful.

Send me topics you want to see discussed (especially if you think that your views might be different than mine!) Send me recipes you would like to see cooked. Tell me what is important to you! I want to know because as Malala says, "I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it's not, it is the story of many girls." We always share commonalities, whether we acknowledge it or not.