How I'm Doing After Election Day 2024

Image: Election party cookies that say "It's about MAdam Time,"
"Kalama Harris 2024, and "We Are Not Going Back"
made by Nichole's Cupcakery

Hello from the day after the day after Election Day 2024. Yesterday was even harder than November 9, 2016 when the nation didn’t fully comprehend what a Trump victory would mean. Today, I’m feeling better and I’m back to work. I’m blogging about how my day went because I think it’s important to acknowledge how we handle life when the worst things happen despite our best activism efforts. Also, I want to offer some perspectives on the GOOD things that happened in my state of Missouri. In sharing all of this, I hope I can help some of you still feeling frozen to climbing back into the fight. Because we’re going to need everybody!

• I turned off my text notifications for everyone but my children. Apologies friends, but this is a vital part of the process when I’m sorting out my own feelings.
• I sent a text to my children because moms reach out when kids are hurting.

• I had chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. I’m an empty-nesting mom with no one to set an example for and no one to stop me.

• I emptied the dishwasher and loaded the dirty dishes from the sink. An act of love for my spouse and an investment in making the rest of the day nicer.

• I showered and swallowed some Advil for my aching back. A step towards physically feeling better.

• I dressed in comfy clothes and put on makeup, not for anyone else’s eyes, but just for the ritual of getting ready for something beyond that moment.

• I wordlessly hugged my husband when he got up because we didn’t need words to understand the pain and disappointment of the morning.

• I bought milk at the store and complimented the clerk on her hair, which was cut short since the last time I saw her. I don’t know her politics, but she’s part of my community and I made her morning better.

• I took a doggie from the local animal shelter on a date. “Corbin” was a stellar and well-behaved pupper. He gave me emotional support, and I gave him a break from living in a shelter. Since I had pre-planned to have the day off (knowing I'd need rest win or lose), the rest of the day was dedicated to loving and exercising Corbin before I had to take him back.

Image: Shelter dog Corbin doing his best to help me
with post-election day blues

As I did all those things, I thought about what I said to people before Election Day when they asked what I thought would happen. I told folks that if you care about enough issues, every election day always has both wins and losses. Yes, Harris lost the presidency and Trump will plunge us into another four years of chaos we can't afford when people are struggling in poverty today and scientists say we only have about 5-6 years before we do irreversible climate damage. 

Image: The results of the overturn on the Missouri
abortion ban with 51.7% of the vote

But farther down my ballot, we had some victories that are worth celebrating even with our heavy hearts. Here in Missouri, we reversed a state abortion ban, protecting abortion rights up to fetal viability with exceptions afterward to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.

Image: Cindy volunteering at a polling
location in the rain

The reversal of the abortion ban in a very red state is a testament to the power of citizen activism. Ordinary people worked hard collecting thousands of signatures to put the amendment on the ballot, got certified as notaries to authorize the signatures, knocked on doors, wrote postcards, wrote letters to the editor, and stood at polls in the rain encouraging voters to vote "yes" on Amendment 3. And it worked!

But that’s not all we did. We prevented Missouri from using court fees to pay law enforcement salary, which would have monetized our court system in a way that hurt people in poverty and racial minorities. We also raised the minimum wage to $13.75 an hour for 2025 and $15 an hour for 2026. All these measures passed by very slim majorities, but they passed!

So yes, really bad stuff happened yesterday. But the good things that happened are not meaningless. It means the world to someone feeling scared out of their mind about a harmful pregnancy. It means a lot to someone in poverty to have an extra couple of dollars per hour on their paycheck. These are tangible wins for people in my state that help remind me that activism and advocacy work! We’re going to need a lot more of this grassroots power in the next four years.

To wrap it up, I’ll share some inspiring words that resonated greatly with me from Venice Williams, the Executive Director at Fondy Food Center in Milwaukee. She answers the question, “What do we do now?” She wrote,

You are awakening to the

same country you fell asleep to.

The very same country.

Pull yourself together.

And,

when you see me,

do not ask me

“What do we do now?

How do we get through the next four years?”

Some of my Ancestors dealt with

at least 400 years of this

under worse conditions.

Continue to do the good work.

Continue to build bridges not walls.

Continue to lead with compassion.

Continue the demanding work of liberation for all.

Continue to dismantle broken systems, large and small.

Continue to set the best example for the children.

Continue to be a vessel of nourishing joy.

Continue right where you are.

Right where you live into your days.

Do so in the name of

The Creator who expects

nothing less from each of us.

And if you are not “continuing”

ALL of the above,

in community, partnership, collaboration?

What is it you have been doing?

What is it you are waiting for?

Now, since my youngest said that pushed her close to crying, here's a sweet picture of me and Corbin to make everyone happy.

Image: Corbin the shelter dog surprising Cindy
with a lick on the cheek.

Image: Book cover

Buy an autographed copy of "From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started" at my website www.changyit.com or order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any independent bookstore!