America

 

I awakened from a deep sleep around 12:30 this morning. 

It's a common occurrence for me pretty much every night. 

Usually, nearly an hour passes before the cares of my world ---much more intense in the middle of the night---pop up, get mulled over and returned to their respective compartments.

With this day's early morning awakening, I remembered that Congress had returned to the chambers to officially certify the Presidential election. 

Before going to bed, I listened to several impassioned speeches about the subject at hand and about the events of the most horrible day I have ever witnessed as a citizen of this country. 

Yes, the day's events were even more horrible in my mind than 9-11 because the breach and the assault on the U.S. Capitol came from American citizens.

No need to go through my emotions throughout the day, which involved disgust, horror, shock and tears. 

I'm sure similar reactions were common among most television viewers.

It was a horrible day, but it was a good day too.

 Members of the two houses of Congress demonstrated that when the going gets tougher than ever imagined, they could get their collective acts together and do the job which had brought them to the Capitol yesterday. 

My awakening just after midnight allowed me the opportunity to see these legislators finish the job which had started several hours before, only to be interrupted by a storming of the Capitol, destruction, looting and open defiance for the sanctity of that sacred American building.

It was an ugly day in so many ways, but to see the Speaker of the House offer an elbow bump to the Vice President at the end of what had to be one of the most horrific days of their lives---that scene did my heart good.  

I turned off the TV and slept soundly for the remainder of the night, confident that in an odd way, the sheer awfulness of yesterday had brought a sense of unity in behalf of the institution which we have throughout our lives and continue to hold dear:  America.

Granted, there's a rough road ahead, repairing this "most unkindest" rip in our country's fabric. 

It was an "Et Tu Brute" day for our country's vice president who had been reminded over and over and over in public and on Twitter by a President who had lost the election to do the "right thing."

Well, Mike Pence, I have never been a fan of yours, but you listened to your heart and to your sense of values, and you "did the right thing."  

Thank you.

And, so it has been officially certified by Congress in what has to be the rockiest road ever in our country's history that Joseph Biden will be inaugurated at President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20.  

Mission accomplished under duress, but accomplished.  Peaceful transfer of power has been promised. 

Where we go from here is anyone's guess, but I hope that the sheer ugliness and horror of yesterday's events at one of our country's most sacred institutions will shake us into the reality of a comment Joe Biden constantly repeats in his speeches. 

We are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. WE can do this together. 

It's time for us each to go deep within our souls and vow that we will find our own personal ways to guarantee that in time "USA - USA" once again will mean the same to all of us. 

We can do that by being kinder, through service, by listening, by always searching for truth, by discarding or at least checking out lies/wild conspiracies and by doing our best to show respect for one another and our differences and cultures which contribute to the richness of this country. 

We'd be a pretty boring nation if everyone thought, dressed and behaved the same.

That said, we should endeavor to find agreement on demanding, knowing and respecting the difference between right and wrong. 

All the excuses in the world did not justify the scenes we saw at the U.S. Capitol yesterday.

Let the healing begin and let us all strive to write a better chapter in American history. 

   

I saw the following post on Facebook this morning, and because it offers a personal touch---the lady who once occupied this house on the Lovestead---I thought it offers an appropriate message for all of us to consider.    

When we brought our kids to the Capitol to advocate for healthcare, we never could have imagined a day like today. 

Heartfelt thanks to all who stand up to defend our democracy, to protect the Capitol, and to uphold the Electoral College vote. 

Now, we are called to heal our communities and our government, rebuilding trust and caring for one another. 

There are powerful forces, foreign and domestic, who seek to exploit our differences, to divide us and weaken us. We are better together.

 Let us never forget that.

---Gretchen Piper, former owner of the Lovestead, now a resident in Minnesota