"Cher-ing" my thoughts....

If you know me at all, you know that I was very disappointed in the outcome of the election.  I volunteered for the Romney campaign, had a yard sign, had stickers on my car etc…I was a Romney groupie J  I highly respect Governor Romney and his wife and family.  I was so hopeful he would be elected and make some needed changes for our government.  But I never though Mitt Romney was the “Savior” who would swoop in and fix our entire country and create utopia.  I agree with his economic principles and I think he is a proven and amazing leader and a good, moral man.

I do not hate President Obama.  I disagree with many of his policies and decisions, and it is unbelievable to me that my state voted for him when we have incredibly high unemployment and the biggest housing crisis in the nation.  But it is what it is, I have no control over it and it does no good to dwell on it and get sucked into the negativity.

What has almost saddened me more than the outcome of the election are the hateful words and actions spewed out by both sides.  I have been called a racist while wearing my Romney/Ryan shirt, but I have also seen equally hateful statements made by those on the other side. Our nation is The Divided States of America right now and nothing positive is going to come from the division.  We are not defined by our political views; we are not the sum of our opinions.  We are Americans and Children of God and have more in common than we have different.  We all want good things for our families, we all want to be loved, we want to be safe and have our basic needs taken care of. 

I really enjoy Facebook, and am on it frequently.  I have loved reconnecting with friends from long ago and keeping up with my friends who I don’t see as often as I would like.  I enjoy the fun, positive interactions.  However, there is a downside to Facebook and social networking.  The downside is that for some reason we feel free to comment and say things we would NEVER say to somebody’s face if we were having a face to face conversation. There is an element of anonymity there even if our name and picture are attached to our comment.    It seems that common courtesy and civility are disappearing from society and it makes me sad.  Even if you are certain you are right, it does no good to be mean and hurtful. It’s okay for people to think differently than you do.

I have always taught my kids that they don’t need to agree with everything somebody thinks or says, and they don’t have to be best friends with everyone but they must be KIND to everyone!  Kindness is such an amazing character trait and I’m afraid it’s disappearing.  One of my favorite Primary songs that I sing to my kids is, “I want to be kind to everyone for that is right you see. So I say to myself remember this, kindness begins with me.” 

That being said, I am worried about the future of our country, and not necessarily because we have a democrat in the White House.  Families are being destroyed. The moral decay I see everywhere is shocking.  It makes me sad for my kids and what they will have to face.  But what keeps coming to mind is that it is time for me to step it up and be the best member of my church, be the best parent and wife and citizen I can be. Our church leaders are optimistic and positive, if you don’t believe me, read their talks from conference.  We can do this; our kids are strong enough and were born at this time because they have been held in reserve until now as the strongest spirits our Father in Heaven has.

 I read this quote today and loved it.

”Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens in your house.”  Barbara Bush