By the time you read this...

Dear Ollie,

After weeks of trying to ignore political rants and misplaced encouragement about the cliched lemonade, I've had it up to here with everything.  By the time you are reading this, you'll know when your mom's sick and tired and you'll recognize it in my voice, but this is something that I need to say.  So here goes, honey.

The Presidential Election of 2016 was a hot crush of anger, racism, xenophobia and fear.  It was also one of the most inspiring and teachable seasons of my life.  While the man who was elected wasn't politically qualified and had created a campaign with blaring facets of hate and misogyny, a woman (albeit someone who a few people believed was a criminal) who was incredibly talented and insanely qualified got closer to the White House than any woman ever had before.  Many people were angry and scared, because the President-Elect (and a small section of hatefilled followers) had questioned whether people who weren't white, straight and Christian belonged in our nation.  But there were still many, many people on both sides of party lines who stood up for all of our LGBT, female, black and immigrant friends and family members.  A giant group of the people who voted for him weren't racist or homophobic, but heard things from Trump that resonated with them.

By the time you read this, Donald Trump will be a former President.  By the time you read this, you will somewhat have assembled your own thoughts, likes, dislikes, ideas and philosophies.  By the time you read this, I hope that your father and I will have instilled in you a deep sense of what it means to be kind, to love fully, to be honest and just and to make your own decisions.  Because by the time you are reading this, Ollie, you will have started to decide whether you want to create your destiny by building others up or by breaking them down.

Donald Trump's legacy as President of the United States, whether it will be a valid representation of his presidency and person or not, has begun in a very tasteless and nation-dividing way.  It doesn't have to end that way.  Our legacy, as the citizens under his leadership, doesn't have to be that way, either.

By the time you read this, Ollie, I hope we have taught you how to be awestruck and exhilarated by different cultures, various ways of life, humanity, generosity, humility and faith.  I hope we have answered any questions that you may have concerning stereotyping and bigotry.  I hope we have shown you how to fight for what you believe, and I hope you believe that all humans are legal, beautiful, love-filled beings who deserve all rights ours to give under God.  Because we will give whatever we have to give, baby.

By the time you read this, I hope that you only know President Trump as a kind, gentle, equitable and thoughtful President.  But if for some reason you don't, Ollie, don't forget what we've taught you.  Take those lemons, wash them off and make lemonade.  Because fighting for your beliefs and the rights of others can make you thirsty.

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