There is Hope

As I write this blog post, the outcome of the election is still in doubt. It's helpful for my mindset to share what is most on my mind and on my heart this week. That is this: there is hope. Not just in the outcome of the election. Not just in the democratic process. Not just in the relentless pursuit of dignity for every single human being in this country. 

There is hope for the future. Here's what I saw this week. 

I was invited by one of my teachers to read to the class on Election Day. It was a second grade class, so the teacher and I selected One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote. Classroom visits are without a doubt one of the best parts of my job. I love being in classrooms and listening to children. They have so much wisdom, so much insight, and are the sources of so much inspiration. 

While reading the book, I would often stop and ask them questions. I wanted to hear from the students, and listen to their voices while I was reading. As I listened to them throughout the exchanges, I was awed by their knowledge of our voting rights. 

One young woman responded to a question with a question, "Did you know that not all black people were always able to vote in the United States?" Fortunately, we passed the 15th amendment to the Constitution to address that. 

The young man to my right pointed out that not every eighteen year old was always able to vote either. Without saying it explicitly, this seven-year-old was referencing the 26th amendment. 

Finally, another young lady offered that women were not always afforded the right to vote. She even pointed out and credited the 19th amendment for her future right to vote. 

Did I mention that all these children were in second grade? I don't remember much about my second grade experience, but I'm confident that I was not able to cite voting amendments to the United States Constitution. I am inspired by what I heard. I am inspired by what I saw. I am inspired. 

The other children that gave me hope this week live in my house. This week, every day, my own children inquired as to the status of the election. They sat with me while I watched MSNBC. They wondered if our ballots were counted (we mailed ours in). They asked serious questions about democracy. They mused aloud about the electoral college. They worried about how long it would take to count all the ballots. 

The bottom line is this, when I was in second grade, I don't think I was discussing the amendments to our Constitution. When I was in seventh and eighth grade, I know I walked past the television set in my childhood home when the news was on. I can state unequivocally, that I was not aware of the political process, other than nominally, when I was growing up. I knew about it. I could discuss the basics but I did not have this depth of knowledge, nor, perhaps more importantly, the level of care and thought that I've seen this week. 

So to Ms. Jette's second grade class, I thank you. To My Patrick, I thank you. To My Brendan, I thank you. You've all given me a greater gift than you can ever know. 

You've given me hope. 

Photo courtesy of www.etsy.com