I know, the last thing you want to read is another blog on someone else's opinion of this year's election. To be honest, I wasn't planning on writing this post but then we moved and I started unpacking boxes. I was unpacking my fourth "book box" and came across the travel journal Austin had gifted to me when we first started dating (fun fact: our whole first month together was in different countries, Austin in Israel, returned, then I went to El Salvdaor). I decided to take a break from unpacking to read the journal (I love love love that I kept handwritten journals pre-blog days) and decided Sister Peggy had too much wisdom not to share with you, As a side note, I'm incredibly nostalgic. I've been over-gramming our move because for a nostalgic/sentimental person, unpacking boxes means unpacking countless memories. I love to remember and feel. Even if it means sitting on the floor crying because I came across a book I read a million times in a million different accents to the first kiddo placed in our home through foster care or laughing reminiscing about our first Timber Day when Bear got sick from both ends ALL over Austin on the way home. I've also realized I love to share and post, not for validation (even though our culture quantifies the worth of my story by "likes") but because writing helps me unravel the mess and beauty of events I feel like my life has been made up of. I've never really unraveled my time in El Salvador. So back to the travel journal El Salvador entries. The trip was a social work trip to learn about different social service agencies and how they combat global injustice. The trip ended with me flying home early because I received the news that Riley Gortsema had died. The final pages of the travel journal are a slew of words that have nothing to do with my trip but more expressing the numb and shock of why I was returning. Pages before though, were all quotes from Sister Peggy, a brilliant and poised woman who I had forgotten about. Here are a few pages of her words: Her wisdom and words accurately sum up my post-election reflections.
"Nothing happens by accident when it comes to healthcare and education." "Touch the violent past and touch it with a sense that I'm still beautiful, and then touch everything else more gently." "Tonight we share our food, tomorrow we share our hunger. That's what it means to be human." "Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat." Yes I'm disappointed by the outcome of the election but I haven't lost hope. I think I was more disappointed by my Facebook newsfeed, literally hundreds of friends sitting behind keyboards "speaking" hate, dividing friends and family (can most of us can agree Facebook is not your best route to change other's opinions or raise awareness?). Regardless of who will be sworn into office, I know my values and what I care about. Sure, there are times I struggle to accept that our family's passions and what God has called us will not create earthly success/make us winners of the rat race. But if in the end it means I'm just a rat does it matter? Nope. We likely be broke, have too many kids in a small home, and drive really old cars with (if you're Austin) over 400,000 miles. But, I believe we will be content and joy-filled. That counts. I hate how the election has brought about entitlement, personal missions to prove "rightness", and so. much. hate. So I write this next part carefully but: there are no accidents when it comes to healthcare and education. None. Mistakes? Yes. I see it every day working with juveniles in our justice system. I wish I could write more about that whole experience but (insert bad HIPPA joke here) I can't. Zero tolerence policies are insane, the way we treat our teachers is downright shameful (they have the hardest jobs), students having to wake up at 5am to catch a 5:20 bus to get to school for free breakfast at 6:30, not ok, I'd be falling asleep at my desk too. Healthcare, ouch I feel that in my personal life too. I go to a therapist for trauma stuff and leave with more anxiety after seeing the bill (my therapist is totally cool and told me it's the last bill I should pay, but still). If you don't think everyone should have access to healthcare and education, please start spending time with the people it effects the most. Sit my with kids who are about to graduate and can't read when a judge asks them on record to read something out loud. Bottom line you voted the way you voted in this election for specific reasons, you care about certain policies. But how much do you care? If you want to show people what you're about, what you care about, live it out. If you care about prolife issues, I have a handful of teenagers who are pregnant with 0 skills and resources and it's a terrible situation. Voting against choice won't help them, taking time to learn their name and teach them how to be nuturing and resourceful, that will. If you care about poverty and benefits being cut, learn the name of a poor person and love them. Not love them like "they should have what I have because a warm coat, new boots, big houses, reliable cars will lead to happiness" love them by learning their normal, hear what they actually want and need. Check out their turf. I think we forgot what it means to be human, to eat and be hungry with people who live, look, and think differently than us but who we love just the same.
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Hi! I'm Haley. Archives
May 2019
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