Five on Friday: What A Difference A Year Can Make

Earlier this week, my husband said that he wasn't looking forward to the On This Day memories from last year after the Presidential Election. Ugh. Me neither. When I think back on that day, I remember walking into the kitchen when it was dark, early and quiet . . . flipping open to my laptop to the news so that I could read we elected our first female President.

I literally fell to the floor and sobbed when I saw the real news. It took me weeks to start to feel any better. I tried to believe the people who said the backlash would be mighty and that the art and music coming out of this time was bound to be amazing! (That didn't really make me feel any better, but I tried.)

I didn't go on the Women's March but my teenage daughter did. Her experience energized me. The sisterhood! The solidarity! The resistance! Maybe we were going to get through this.

My daughter painted this sign to march with.

As the year progressed, my social justice theatre troupe began getting booked left and right. People were as upset as I was, other people wanted to talk and figure things out and change. Before I knew it, a year had passed and my husband was posting his lament about On This Day.

This year when I checked the post-Election Day news, I felt something I hadn't felt since last year . . . hope. Here's why, for today's Five On Friday list:

1. New Jersey elected a Democratic Governor!

2. THIS! 

3. A town not far from where I went to college and lived for a few years, made the national news because someone mailed out a racist flyer against local school board candidates. Those candidates won.

4. THIS!

5. And on a more local and personal level, three women I am know were inspired to run for office. All three won! Congratulations to them! Thank you for being the change in your communities!!!