You made a difference

https://acceptingchanges-maybe.blogspot.com/2017/01/arleen-goes-to-washington.html?showComment=1485201049939#c18537138550012937

Friday morning I woke up and sensed a palpable negative energy in the world, like a cold skin had been placed on us all. The sky was slate grey and blackbirds corralled in my yard picking at the ground. Thank God for children and their divine ability to distract us all from the troubles of life. When they came home from school going on and on about tests and what their plans for the weekend were, I felt myself lighten up a bit.

Friday was the inauguration, and no, I didn't watch. It may be history, but so are sinking ships.

On Saturday things weren't that much better, really. I went about the house completing my errands, conducting a mental dialogue about the groceries I needed to pick up for the week ahead: sack lunches for the kids, dinners, hand-held items for bus-bound pre-teens. By noon the clouds thinned just enough to see a spark of sunlight; it lightened my emotions as I took Henry for a walk. Still though, my heart felt depleted like that of a twenty-year-old after being broke up with. No hope for reconciliation, just a dull pain and going-through-the-motions to get through it all.

Later on I watched the news and saw all the women who had gathered together, not only in America but across the world, and it was if the real sun finally come out. Everything changed. These weren't bitter women, these weren't violent protests or refusals of truths, these were people of all gender, age, status coming together to say: we count and we won't put up with bully tactics from anyone. Not now, not ever.

I can't stop thinking about how amazing it is. Thank you to all who went out and marched. I feel like a jerk for not being there too, but I am glad that the ones who were supposed to go, did. Thank you. It made a difference. You made a difference.

I loved reading Arleen's blog post today about her epic journey to one of the marches on Saturday. Truly inspiring. We should all be like her in action and in spirit. You rock, Arleen.