Elizabeth Warren thanks YOU ... the beating heart of our democracy

And Mary Oliver channels some advice for these days

Elizabeth Warren: To everyone who volunteered, who phone-banked, who texted, who knocked doors, who brought cookies to volunteers, who put up a lawn sign, who gave a part of themselves to be a part of something bigger: you are the beating heart of our democracy. (full video)

Good morning world! It’s November 8th …

The world is still turning, the cats need to be fed, and you and I are still neighbors within the arbitrary boundaries of the United States. We still face the same challenges and we still benefit from the great good fortune of living within a democracy at peace. May it long continue as we go about our day-to-day lives.

The above was written when it was still October, when my greatest hope was to wake up the day after with confidence that we would go forward and do what we can to make the world a better place. That is still my greatest hope even though the road to getting there looks a bit stormier and rockier.

One thing I’ve learned over the past few weeks is that we have a lot of heroes … very smart people who are, right now, thinking about our future as a people and a country. This new challenge changes us and the road ahead. We will be called upon to serve and contribute in ways we’ve never thought of before.

One thing I’m clear about …

it was fear that got us here,

fear that was used to create distrust and hate,

fear that can only be removed through love.

How we get there, I don’t know, but I think Mary Oliver offers us some clues.