I am writing this post today because I feel your pain so much .
For some reasons the results of your elections drove me back to the Paris terrorist attacks. The shock was so brutal, so totally unexpected. I was so devastated and spent endless hours crying, asking myself the unanswerable question “why?!” “why would people do that?!”, “what are those damned people made of?“. I was in denial, scared to hell, as if everything I always has taken for granted – my Humanist values, my home as I love it had been destroyed forever.
In retrospect, all I know is that we don’t heal at the same pace. We have different needs. There is a time when we need to find someone to hate, a culprit, the responsible of it all. But in our case and in yours, there is not a single person to blame for it all. It would have been too easy. There is a time of total denial, when we think we can rewrite history or a miracle will happen to change it all for the best again. I dreamt last night that your newly elected president acknowledged he couldn’t run the country as he planned to, and delegated his title to Bernie Sanders. Man that felt super good!
I remember feeling exhausted and incredibly vulnerable after the attacks. For long weeks. Then one day, the bleeding cut had healed into a thin scare. Life goes on, my friends, it is not the end of the world. But it looks like the end of a world, for sure .. Our societies might be sick, the great news is that we can cure it. Somehow. Together.
Even with your new president, I will still visit your country. He is one man, you are millions. I more than ever admire your resilience and your strength. You’ll prove Hillary right, the American dream is big enough for all of you.
Take all the time you need to mourn. Blame, cry, protest, do peacefully whatever feels right just now. Just remember you have many loving and caring friends everywhere. Me included.
Love Always ❤️
Estelea
Estelea's Blog 
Thank you! Words, sentiments and hope such as this are a critical part of the grieving and healing process. ❤️
Thank you, Estela! You have confirmed that we will heal, but we are hurting right now. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like I was living two lives. My world had cosmically changed, but I was still doing the normal, everyday things. It was very strange!
Dear, I totally hear you. I had those moments where I would stop to wonder “did that really happen “? It is such a shock, an incredible shock. I never ever in a zillion year would have believe for a second that Trump would be president. It will take time to digest for sure.
But the more I am talking to my American friends, here, on the phone, on Facebook, and the more I am deeply humbled by your courage and resilience. You are so energetic and inspiring !
And what matters most is that even if your world has changed, as you wrote, you have not. We have not. So we ll rebuild it even better than before. Your election has became ours, and we wonder where our system failed. Why are some people so full of hate and hopeless that they would vote against the humanist values we cherish so much? Why going backwards where there is nothing but darkness?
I am confident that our values will always prevail. There is no other way. It might take a little detour now, but it will be for the best.
Many many blessings my friend! We are with you all the way ❤
Thank you for your kind words again, Estela. You brought teats to my eyes.
Whoops, “tears”. Darned auto-correct!
❤ !
You are so wise! I am so grateful for your words, especially “And what matters most is that even if your world has changed, as you wrote, you have not. We have not. So we ll rebuild it even better than before.” thank you for spreading the positivity! ❤
Thank you too my dearest, as I know you too will be rebuilding it – and we’ll all be very proud of it! X
Estelea, I am so happy and appreciative to read your words. I recently wrote a “today, i will” post. Inspiring, understanding and positive 🙂
I read your post dear and I loved it. What a positive and inspiring attitude. I strongly believe that this is the only path not only to healing but also to plant the seeds of more comprehension, respect and love between us all ❤
I absolutely loved your post, too. As you said, it is important to heal through positivity and to plant seeds of love between all of us. I feel grateful for your care and your support for all people. Through your post but also through your yoga and peace 🙂 ❤
THanks for this very sweet comment Connie. The only way to me to resist this terrible political trend is to learn to live together again.
Ahimsa (non hurting) is one of the first yamas (ethical principal of yoga), and it is about time to get back to this basic. I have printed a reminder on my fridge after the election that says “the words you speak become the house you live in”. Less critics, less judgment but more understanding and encouragements. To ourselves and to others. THat will be the theme of this coming week yoga classes. Care to join? I always have a mat ready for you 😉 ❤
Oh I wish! In spirit I will be there. ❤ That is such a good idea about that reminder! Wow powerful quote. I will write it up and put it on my wall to remind me as well. 🙂 ❤ By the way, I shared your letter and a reader of mine shared it on her Facebook! Your positive words are shared to us all!
Oh thanks so much my friend, I am very touched ❤ All the best of the best, always!
It really is so meaningful to have the support of people from all over the world in the aftermath of this election. You continue to inspire me from across the globe, Estelea. ❤
So you are my dear ❤
What an optimistic post! I need a little of that as I hope for the best with our new leader while trying not to worry about the worst.
Glad you like it Amanda 🙂 and thumbs up for this very positive and pragmatic attitude! We need to look forward and we French people are looking up at you guys. If such a thing ever happened in France, I fear there would be a civil war, honestly! THanks for this lesson in resilience and positivity ❤
Thanks for the support. In a broad sense, I feel we can overcome. On a personal level, I am still not sure how to proceed with people I know who have chosen this person. Maybe the rawness will heal in time.
It will, at your pace. To me there are 2 kind of people, the radical ones we ll never ever change, like the KKK and Cie. Whatever we’ll do or say, they won’t get it. They voted for Trump with all their heart.
But there are still some other ones, the “uneducated, dust belt poors ..” who have voted not for Trump but against Hillary. They blame her for their situation, her and all the establishment. They would have voted for a donkey if he had promised them things will for sure change (actually they did 😉 ). They are the ones we should reach out to, understand how we failed them, and get them back into our society. How we can do that is another question ? education? eco-social measures to help them convert their skills? The problem is that no politician really cares. It would take more than 4 years to fix and a real and decent budget ..
You know the image of Filipino president Duterte in the International press ..
People who elected Duterte are not racist/fascist/rude and arrogants prats. The more I talk with taxi drivers, helpers and teachers but also businessmen for instance, the more I realise how my belief system has to adapt to learn .. He reached out to the poor who have always felt cornered, because he was different than all the other politicians. A prosecutor and clean politician who would fight for them (add the gestures and rhetoric to make it really theatrical).
And they do all love and admire him. There are more and more militaries in street, you see the police officers patrolling night and day. Are people scared? my neighbours tell me that they like it, they feel safe again.
If tomorrow we have a martial law here, I don’t think many will protest, unfortunately. Because Marcos story is not even taught at school. Because he will soon be buried as a National hero … education, education again.
You are so very right and wise and patient! Thanks again for your thoughts! 🙂
Duterte is the Trump of the east they say? 😉
Those kind of comparisons sell in the media, everybody in France know Duterte (probably since one of the most famous newspapers had his face on the front page with 2 words in red: Serial Killer ).
My friends back home were very surprised when I gave them my reading of Duterte voters. I don’t say I am pro Duterte, I just state that it is too simplistic to put all the blame on one man, we need to understand why people have voted for him so massively. Why he is still so strong here while so criticized outside his country.
But although they are very big differences between Duterte and Trump, I bet they would laugh at the same kind of very mysogynist “jokes” 😕
Very well said. You have a much better understanding of Philippine politics now than me being so far away from home, not that I care about politics much but I think you are right in all your points. Media always loves the sensationalism.
Love you for this! I, too am trying to stay positive and not let the negative affect me. I am sick and tired of this election, of watching the news, looking at my Facebook and see that friends are being nasty and downright disrespectful to each other. This has brought out the UGLY in people. Like my friend has said, she wants the puppies and goat videos back on Facebook. My only prayer is for people to realize that we are all on the same team and that we want whats best for the country. Thank you Estelea! 🙂
Amen to that ❤ I fear that the same is abt to happen in France, the FB feeds are getting pretty nasty too and we are 6 months away from the Presidential elections ..I am going for unfriend some of the so called friends I have who are already getting me sick and post more picts of puppies and goats 😉 XXX
oh trust me, i have unfollowed some of them. puppies and goats are SO much better! good luck in your elections too!
Thanks dear, I feel we’ll need lots …
Reblogged this on the portfolio – in progress and commented:
a letter to Americans from an international friend, Estelea. if you feel alone, you are not alone. spreading some more love and positivity into our news feeds ❤
Reblogged this on Musin' With Susan and commented:
Estelea of “Estelea’s Blog” is a French citizen, currently living in the Philippines. She wrote a heartfelt letter to Americans following our election, comparing how we are feeling to how she felt follow the Paris bombings. I commented that I feel like I am living in two universes, one which has cosmically changed and one which is pretty much unchanged as I go about my daily life. Her response to me this morning (quoted following) brought me to tears. If you are reading this on FB, do take the time to click on the link and read her post and the comments which follow. “Dear, I totally hear you. I had those moments where I would stop to wonder “did that really happen “? It is such a shock, an incredible shock. I never ever in a zillion year would have believe for a second that Trump would be president. It will take time to digest for sure.
But the more I am talking to my American friends, here, on the phone, on Facebook, and the more I am deeply humbled by your courage and resilience. You are so energetic and inspiring !
And what matters most is that even if your world has changed, as you wrote, you have not. We have not. So we ll rebuild it even better than before. Your election has became ours, and we wonder where our system failed. Why are some people so full of hate and hopeless that they would vote against the humanist values we cherish so much? Why going backwards where there is nothing but darkness?
I am confident that our values will always prevail. There is no other way. It might take a little detour now, but it will be for the best.
Many many blessings my friend! We are with you all the way❤”
Beautifully said and may your words speed to God’s ears.
Amen to that! Btw I love your post on thankfulness,it is very inspiring. Gratitude is a practice that we should all do more. To me, counting my blessings is my only antidote to anxiety .. All the best from the Philippines 🙂
Thanks Estelea. Even though we are now living in Sri Lanka, we of course watched the election minute by minute. Everyone in my family is a Democrat and we felt pretty confident that Hillary Clinton would be elected and even though she is not perfect, we believe that she is smart, experienced and would have made an excellent president.
What really gets to me is the fact that such a racist, bigoted man, so full of hatred has just been rewarded with the best prize ever and that he role models this kind of behavior. It will be a tough adjustment after Barack Obama, a wonderful president and not only that the changes that this new president makes will affect the whole world. We just have to pray that somehow there is some kind of sliver lining somewhere and stay hopeful.
I think it is going to be four very painful years and the damage done will be hard to undo.For example if he reverses the work that President Obama did with regard to climate change. I am trying to stay positive but I definitely am more in the angry, sad mode right now at what has happened.
Pet
Sorry for the late reply, I had to take a little detox from social media to keep some sanity here – and finally sleep again!
I totally understand your points, and I am standing by you all the way. Still, I can’t believe that Trump will have the power to undo all the goods of the Obama government.
The basic justice created by the Obamacare, the considerations on the Climate change, can’t be simply erased or denied. I want to believe he will never have the means to lead the populist and unrealistic program. That your political system, the voices of all of you who are truly democratic and humanist at heart won’t let that happen.
As I still want to believe that the majority who voted for him are not all KKK fans. But mostly desperate and poor people, who came to hate the establishment for not caring about them. An American friend of mine told me the other day “I have to face the truth, that my fellow Americans are a bunch of racists and violent dickheads”. Nah, you have your share as we all do. But it would too simplistic (and sad) to see it as the truth.
This being said, I have decided to stop reading the news for another week. I ll focus on my yoga practice instead, on the yamas and nyamas especially .. I need to recenter myself as well, to do something positive that will be helpful in our society.
Your election has became ours, and I really fear that my country will take the same racist and narrow minded path.
As I was contemplating my options for our next posting, I now feel that I have to be in education. Can’t just be a bystander anymore .
So very well said… I get that people are angry but I do not get the violence. Having said that, it must be really frustrating…
I think that unfortunately violence is just the most natural way to express our frustrations and angriness .. Especially for men, how many of them have broken a hand by literally banging their fist on the table ?
Yes! Not sure how much of a tennis fan you are but many years ago Martina Hingis played Hopman Cup in Perth with Marc Rosset and he got so upset about a missed return that he punched the wall… he broke his wrist and they had to give up… needless to say that the Swiss Miss was not happy…
Hehehehe … Men
😏
Ha, yes…