THANK GOODNESS

 Thank goodness the 2024 election is finally over. Many people are celebrating the triumphant of their favorite candidate. Others are in grumpier mood because the person they backed lost. I personally am just glad the whole thing is over. The hope is that those millions who cast ballots learned some lessons to carry with them in the future.  

Whether candidates won or lost is important, but more important is the fact that the democratic process once again worked. Americans participate by voting, the most sacred thing to citizens. Yes, the electoral college is a bit outdated, but the key to picking our leaders is based on one person-one vote. Our precious right to cast a ballot must always be protected. 

My hope is that folks learned that who a person supports for an office is not the defining thing to friendships. It’s nobody’s business who a person supports, but it’s important that every individual who is eligible to vote does so. What friends do is make their choices, and sometimes they even debate about them. However, in the end, a true friendship always exists after the winners are announced. Letting such a special relationship die is a sin; each of us has few true friends, and we should fight with all our might to keep them. We’ve all heard stories of family members separating over politics. Elections come and go, but family members and true friends are the foundations onto which we build our lives. The race is over, and if any of us has had a falling out with a special person, the time is now to make apologies and restore that tie.  

Plenty of unkind things have been said during this campaign season. Both sides of an election can be surprisingly cruel. Ads are thrown on screens, and they tell the worst about a candidate, whether it’s true or not. I haven’t figured out when it became all right to viciously attack a competitor, but I don’t like it.  

Let’s hope that the winners are gracious, and the losers are humble. This election is over, and our lives go on. Precious little time on this planet is granted to any person; our goals should be to do good for others and to increase our love for friends, family, strangers.  

The goal for every person should be to simply get along with others. We can have arguments or disagreements, but that doesn’t mean our relationships should end. After previous elections, I’ve known folks who ended friendships or who no longer talk to brothers, sisters, or even parents. I’m amazed at how petty we all can be at times. If we aren’t happy with those in office, then the best thing to do is vote them out the next cycle. Get rid of the politicians with whom you disagree, but hold on tightly to the few family members and friends that you have. They are the people who care for you and who will be there in the end.  

I say congratulations to those whose candidates won in local, state, and federal elections. Can’t we talk about something on which most of us can agree? Yes, we should join forces and cheer on the Vols in the campaigns to win championships. Younger folks can also swap stories about their toddlers’ clever stunts and actions. To put it simply, let’s all get along for a change.