David writes a warm post about me and the post-election world. I must say that going to visit him the day after was also a blessing for me. I needed to get away from everything. We couldn't have planned a visit for better timing had we even known what was to happen with the election.

Upon seeing each other and driving the hour or so to his home, we briefly discussed our dismay and election results and such things. And then quickly decided that it was best to not talk about such things for now and focus on our lives, our friendship, fun things in life, and having a good visit. He appropriately threw a party at his house, which in the short time I've known David is one thing he does constantly, and consistently well. His friends in his hometown seem to be drawn to his home for fun and drinks and merriment and a family of liberals in the middle of nowhere. In fact, they let themselves in via his open door. And they just show up.

We took our motto of not discussing the election into the party atmosphere and everyone agreed it was best. Once in a while someone would start to scream about the election and go off and happily, via our agreement for the night, we would end such common screams so that we could focus on the positives of being together. His friends talked and talked about their lives-- lives that we do have regardless of an election. I got to know them. They got to know me. And we watched that great escapist movie "Muriel's Wedding" while we played. Which when you think about it, was the perfect symbol. In it, Muriel spends her whole life dreaming of a day when things are better because of one day-- her wedding. She changes her whole self, even her name, and becomes a new person that she thinks would be worthy of marriage. Finally, she does get married, even though it's a sham wedding and she knows it. Eventually she realizes that it's not about the day or the event itself, but about who she is inside and that life goes on beyond the day of supposed infamy. She then goes back to being her true self and recognizing that her life is wide open to possibilities as herself, living in the post-day-of-infamy world that she couldn't see before. (Somehow I've just made the movie into the perfect symbol for how many of us felt about the election. It's not the perfect symbol, but it has a good beat and I can dance to it.)

Anyway, it was a needed getaway being with David and his friends (who I didn't know but of which we all had so much in common, especially on that post-election day). And it helped me to strengthen myself to live, to live my full life, even in the midst of a dream not being fulfilled, and in that post-day-of-infamy that couldn't be fathomed before. We're all stronger than one day and one outcome. We carry on because we are strong. And time keeps moving forward. Whatever happens in life, the key is to make the most of it, to smell the flowers, to enjoy your loved ones, to recognize the endless possibilities before you, and to continue on. This holiday season, do that. Even if we still feel remorse about the past, there is still much to enjoy, and there are many around us to do that with. And remember that we are stronger than a day, a moment, an administration, an outcome; we are stronger than even we may realize. In the immortal words of Muriel: "keep on keepin' on" (ok, actually she didn't say that, but I did.)