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White House, Washington DC
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If You’re Hurting After the Election, Please Read This

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Lauren Rae Wetzsteon
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Minnesota chapter.

To the person whose heart has been broken by this election,

I am sorry. I’m so unbelievably sorry for what has unfolded in the past 48 hours. You have cried, yelled, screamed or maybe even tried to bargain with a higher power. Your body is tired from sleepless nights, and your mind is exhausted from a futile battle. You cannot eat. You cannot sleep. And for some, you cannot even leave your homes without feeling unsafe. I hear you, and while I’m but a white cis-woman, I share your pain and suffering, and I fear for what tomorrow, or the next four years may bring. In the light of our nation electing Donald Trump as president, it’s no surprise that many of us – people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, muslims, women, victim-survivors and immigrants – are experiencing a very real, and very valid heartbreak. The kind of heartbreak that hits you like a freight train, rips straight through you and leaves you feeling empty and hopeless.

I am not here to tell you that it’s okay, because it’s not, and I can’t say that it’ll be okay, because I don’t know that it will. My message to you instead is this: Our hearts may be broken, but we are not. Today you are mourning and you are hurting. Your sadness, fears, anger and hopelessness are valid beyond a doubt, and while you may be feeling broken in this mess, I can promise you that you are not. You are loved and supported. You are strong, resilient and brave. As upsetting as the results of this election are, you and I will not break. After we have mourned our losses, we will fight like hell, and we will rise. We will not be complacent. We will not be silent. In the face of this great adversity, we will prevail. We will overcome.

To anyone reading this right now, wondering how you can possibly move forward when you already feel so left behind, please know this: I love you. I support you. I believe in you. I am here with you, and we will fight this fight together.  In the words of Maya Angelou, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” We have indeed been met with a great defeat, that feels debilitating, but let us not be defeated. Let us be activated. Let us be motivated. Let us be heard. Let us be stronger together, and let us know that love will always trump hate. We will not be defeated, and we sure as hell will not break.

 

 

 

Photo Credits: People Magazine and Bustle. 

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Lauren is the Her Campus Correspondent at the University of Minnesota where she is currently studying Strategic Communications with and emphasis in Public Relations. Lauren also works for a national nonprofit organization called Miss Amazing that focuses on empowering women with disabilities by hosting programs offering the opportunity to develop life long skills, build confidence, express themselves, and create meaningful relationships. In addition to her work with Her Campus and Miss Amazing, Lauren also works as the Public Relations and Branding Coordinator at Metropolitan Salons and Spas and as an assistant at a law firm in downtown Minneapolis. When she isn't busy working, Lauren enjoys reading, shopping, spending time with her family and friends, and of course watching New Girl. Lauren is an enthusiast for many things: coffee, Kate Spade, office supplies, home décor, women's empowerment, and pugs, just to name a few. Lauren's favorite quote (right now) is, "Give me some wifi, a pair of heels, some coffee and watch me make the world go round." HCXO!