The world is reeling. Yet, I had to wake my children -- their sweet faces doughy and warm on their pillows -- and tell them that Donald Trump will be our next president. They have followed the whole campaign process and they know the implications. I didn't need to tell them how much fear there will be out there. I didn't need to explain that I'm concerned about the potential for eroding civil liberties. I didn't need to tell them that the rest of the world is watching in horror, shaking their heads.

But I did need to tell them this:

Do not despair. The world will keep turning. It may not be the world you were hoping for, but we will survive. Remember that the way you feel now is the way so many others have felt in past years. They survived and you will, too.

Do not engage. There will be those who are celebrating today and some may want to goad you. Don't go there. Congratulate them on the winning candidate. Say you will respect democracy. Hold your head high. No good will come from fighting. What's done is done and now we begin the hard work of reconciliation, even when it means biting your tongue and being the bigger man. Remember that those who voted for Donald Trump did so because they genuinely believed it was the best choice. Perhaps they were uninformed or misguided, but I do not believe anyone voted for him to spite you, me, themselves, our country. They voted because they thought he could do better. I have to believe that there is goodness in the hearts of people we don't understand.

Do not give up. Now is the time to pull our big kids pants up and get to work. Now is when our efforts are more important than ever. Understand that your voice is needed. Understand that the best thing you can do now is succeed -- be seen and be heard. Understand that you have a choice to be an bystander or an upstander. Be the latter.

Honor the office. Pray that Mr. Trump succeeds. If we hope for his failure, we are hoping for the failure of our country. We have seen how that goes. Don't perpetuate that. You do not have to respect the man -- and I wouldn't dream of asking you to -- but you do need to respect the office of President.

Look for kindness. When people feel as we do now it is easy to focus on the negative. But there is so much kindness out there. Focus on the good. Look for the stories of love and friendship. If you seek out kindness, you will find it and it will fill the dark places.

Choose love. Just choose love.

#politics #trump #president