Editor’s Note: In response to the election, there has been a lot of crying — and outcrying — on both sides. The TLA Network asked for practitioners to share their thoughts. This one was originally posted on Amanda Faye Lacson’s blog, here.
#strongertogether
My heart is broken in a million pieces and the tears keep coming. I’m grateful to my friends, who will and have empathized with me.
Since my heart’s already broken…
a piece for my LGBTQ friends, for their rights to openly love each other;
a piece for my immigrant friends and families (including my own), whose contribution to the American fabric cannot be discounted;
a piece for my friends of all colors, that you feel safe in your own skin;
a piece for my friends of all religions, that you feel safe worshipping your higher power;
a piece for my friends who are parents, that your children learn the value of love and empathy;
a piece for my friends who are teachers, that your students learn the value of work and words;
a piece for all the women, and the men who support them, that we continue to honor and stand up for each other’s rights and safety.
My husband reminded me that we dig ourselves out of deep darkness and despair through creativity, not complacency. I suppose it’s already working, as I haven’t written something like this in years. So a final piece: for my friends who are artists and activists, that we may rise up through anger and love to light and strength.
We are still #strongertogether.
– Amanda Faye Lacson
Transformative Language Arts Network Blog 