A Week in Tears

MONDAY

• Draft a blog post entitled "The Day I Can't Wait to Tell my Boys About" centered around how you plan to tell your sons when they ask where you were when our nation elected its first woman President

I've debated sharing this because the truth is, I still have a lot of mixed emotions about it. But here goes.  Anyone who knows me knows I love my job. I love my co-workers. I love my organization. I love that I play a large part in connecting low-income Ohio families to fresh, healthy foods. Last week, I tearfully sat down with my supervisor and resigned from my position. As of December 1, I will be a stay-at-home Mommy. Although I love the idea of being the one to raise my boys during their formative years, the truth of the matter is that I wouldn't have had to make this difficult choice if we had adequate family leave in this country.  That, among other reasons, is why #imwithher. I encourage everyone to vote today. Hopefully for the candidate who will do better by American families. 🇺🇸 #nastywoman #electionday #SAHM #breastfeeding #wearwhite #pantsuitnation

A photo posted by Kaity | (Bee)autiful Blessings (@beeautifulblessings) on Nov 8, 2016 at 5:05am PST

TUESDAY

• Make husband take super empowering breastfeeding-while-channeling-Rosie-the-Riveter picture to post on Instagram in an endorsement of HRC
• Debate whether or not to join friends at the bar to watch election results filter in
• Haven't slept in 3 months and today you have hit rock bottom of the sleep deprivation
• Decide not to go out with friends
• Worry that you'll regret missing out on one of your country's biggest historical moments and change your mind
• Curl your hair (you'll want to look good in all of those celebratory Instagram posts)
• Meet lady friends, all sporting pantsuits, at the bar
• Order your first drink in about two years- a tall Jack and Coke
• Joke about the horrors of a theoretical Trump presidency
• Order your second tall Jack and Coke
• Start to feel slightly nauseous as you read "Florida- Too close to call"
• Order your third tall Jack and Coke
• Receive distraught text message from sister that reads, "WTF Ohio?!"
• Order your fourth tall Jack and Coke
• Start to contemplate the actual horrors of a real Trump presidency
• Come out of the women's restroom, catch your friend's eye and burst into heavy sobs
• Continue to sob in her embrace as she tries to remain strong and hold back her own tears
• Accept offer of a ride home from a newly married friend who is now terrified about the fate of his marriage
• Proceed to pump and dump 7 oz of liquid gold while hysterically crying with your sister on the phone
• Climb into bed and wait for the spinning to stop...

WEDNESDAY

• Wake up and hope that some miracle occurred between 1:30-3:30 AM and your candidate actually won
• Feel sick once again when your husband announces that the impossible has happened
• Play Daniel Tiger on repeat and spend the day sobbing

THURSDAY

• Contemplate cancelling established plans with friend to visit Children's Museum
• Decide that a few hours of relief from all the crying is probably for the best
• Get children dressed and ready to go, and then spend a half hour looking for toddler's right shoe
• Find right shoe in the bathtub
• Begin the one hour drive to museum
• Call friend to stop and pull over at a nearby shopping plaza because toddler has thrown up in the back of your car
• Spend several hours at Children's Museum smelling vaguely of children's vomit
• Load children in car and drive home through rush hour traffic
• Watch in horror as a car to the left of you slams their brakes causing the car next to you to swerve into your lane and slam into the driver's side of your vehicle
• Pull over in the left shoulder. Call 911. Check to make sure sleeping babies are unharmed and still sleeping
• Wait 20 minutes for police to arrive to file an accident report
• Move to a safer location on the right shoulder and proceed to wait another 20 minutes for police
• Grow impatient with law enforcement, exchange insurance information, and drive away with sleeping babies
• Receive email from Trump-supporting family member questioning whether she should still make pre-arranged trip to visit after a tense Facebook exchange

FRIDAY

• Brew morning coffee
• Discover you are out of your favorite Peppermint creamer and resort to an old bottle of French Vanilla creamer
• Observe that your French Vanilla creamer has spoiled and has now ruined your morning coffee
• Confirm that Trump-supporting family member is still coming
• Attempt to make house look presentable for guest after several days of neglect
• Welcome family member (awkwardly) into home

SATURDAY

• Go shopping and run errands with family
• Write "thank you" card for HRC
• Spend evening watching Christmas movies with family to lighten your spirits

Sending my "thank you" card today. Have you?  #imstillwithher #pantsuitnation

A photo posted by Kaity | (Bee)autiful Blessings (@beeautifulblessings) on Nov 11, 2016 at 10:23am PST

SUNDAY

• Wake up to Kate McKinnon-as-HRC singing "Hallelujah"
• Cry
• Get children dressed and ready for Church
• Sit next to Trump-supporting family member as Pastor delivers message about healing and loving the people you don't want to love
• Return from Church and have the overdue dialogue about this election and the wedge it's driven between you and Trump-supporting family member
• Feel some peace for the first time in days

> > >

There was a lot more tears and a lot more love and support from my lady friends that happened in the midst of my week in tears. They are what got me through arguably the most emotional week I've had in a long time. I am still grieving, but healing and I'm ready to continue carrying the torch that HRC has carried solo for so long.

How are you coping (or celebrating) the results of the 2016 Presidential Election?