Nov. 6, 2024. My alarm went off at 5:40 a.m. and I had a few seconds of groggy peace before remembering what day it was and the millions of votes counted as I slept.
I immediately checked my phone for news about the election. I wasn’t expecting an immediate answer, but there it was: an overwhelmingly red map and a slew of headlines from The New York Times, CNN, CBS News and more all saying the same thing.
Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
Initially, I was shocked. It seemed like all the polls were foreboding a Harris-Walz victory.
I knew plenty of people voting for both candidates, but every friend I talked to and every video I saw online seemed to favor Vice President Harris.
Even Centre County, the home of my massive, predominantly liberal college campus was red that morning. I thought the election would be much closer than this.
Everything about it surprised me.
I sat and stared for a while, read some of the articles then got in the shower and let it sink in. It’s been 235 years since we elected the first American president in 1789. We still haven’t had a woman hold the title.
I thought about all the women in states like Texas. I thought about all the articles I’ve been reading about women who desperately wanted their babies but miscarried and were forced to suffer until they went into septic shock because of restrictive abortion laws.
I felt their fear and wondered what I would do in such an impossible situation. I remembered the concrete reality that I could be put in that situation in only a few years.
My heart ached for my LGBTQ+ friends whose right to marry in all fifty states could now be in jeopardy. It broke for all the families who will be deported and all the children who could be separated from their loved ones.
I pictured my career as an educator — a career that could look completely different because of Trump’s plan to revamp public schooling. I wondered how many books would be banned and if I’d be allowed to teach tolerance and acceptance in my classroom.
Then I got out of the shower.
I got dressed, dried my hair and texted my sister. I did my make-up, made a coffee, ate a bagel and grabbed my lunchbox.
I walked to my car, clicked shuffle on my Spotify playlist and took a deep breath. I let some of the anxieties go.
I watched the sunrise in the sky and allowed myself to focus on the good. The sun will continue to rise each day. I drove for the next hour singing along to my favorite songs.
I breathed in the fresh air as I walked into school. There was air in my lungs. There is more good in the world than bad.
Those facts are not changing with this election.
I watched a chain of supportive texts flow into my group chats as friends woke up for the day and saw the news. We were all frightened. For young women especially, it is hard not to be scared by some of the promises made by politicians this year.
Despite the fear, disappointment and sadness, the overwhelming feeling throughout my day was love. I saw so much love shared in my organizations, on social media, by my students and by my friends.
We validated each other’s feelings and shared our disappointments and anxieties. Then we shifted our focus.
We promised that despite how hard today was, we would be there to pick up the pieces every day after this. We will fight for each other. We will advocate for change.
We will continue to stand up for marginalized communities and spread a message of love over hate.
The fight for a kinder, more accepting world doesn’t end with one election outcome. It ends when we give up on spreading kindness and tolerance.
While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.
Kamala Harris, 2024
I wish our new president the best. I hope he has grown in the past four years and can lead the country with compassion and wisdom. If not, I will place my trust in our system of checks and balances in government and journalism.
If those systems fail, I will stand alongside millions of other compassionate, patriotic Americans in protest. In two years, I will vote again for new government officials.
Until then, I am going to do my best to let go of the anxiety about the future. I refuse to allow a worst-case-scenario version to rule my life because, at this time, it only exists in my mind.
This has been an intense, existential election filled with fear-mongering and threats on both sides. For our own mental and physical well-being, we have to be able to let some of those ideas go and focus on the good all around us.
From one anxious girl to another, here is my step-by-step advice for navigating the rest of the year post-election.
One: Know that your feelings are valid. Your fear is valid. Your disappointment is valid. Anything you are feeling right now is 100% valid.
Two: Acknowledge your feelings. Sit in them for a minute. Cry if you need to, vent to a friend.
Three: Once you feel you’re in the space for it, check in on your loved ones, especially those in marginalized communities who may be especially affected by these results.
Four: Find something good to focus your energy on. Take a walk, listen to music or read a book. Remember that the world does not end because this outcome wasn’t what we hoped for.
Five: Be ready to advocate for what is important to you. Stay educated and informed. Be aware of what is happening in our nation and don’t be afraid to speak up. Our country is founded on your right to speak freely about these topics.
I wish you the best of luck in the next few weeks. Feel all the feels and rely on your community for support. No human being is an island.
Love always wins in the end.