So here we are. The election is past. Vaccines are suddenly on the near horizon. Recovery is in sight. I feel we’ve been given an opportunity to “find the peace once lost” as a country.

All shall be well.

So now you’re probably thinking “has Debbie lost her ever-loving mind”?

Okay, possibly, but here are some thoughts. We have some choice. We can lean in or lean out. This is NOT the time to give up, either out of relief or lingering pain. There are two ways to look at the “all shall be well” statement. One is eternal…and the other is just pragmatic. If all shall be well on a practical level, we need to dig in and make it happen. Whether you “won” or “lost” in the election, we have work to do. I hope we can roll up our sleeves and get busy. The issues remain.

Here are some things that need work, in my opinion.

*The mix of politics with religion. The reality is that some people 100% devoted to God voted red. And others equally devoted to God voted blue. God doesn’t reside in a particular party. I don’t believe in kicking each other off the island based on who we voted for.

*Partisan echo chambers. They’re what got us into this mess in the first place. We need to seek truth in healthy ways, not through soupy mixes of spin and opinion. Can we rise to the challenge of being able to parse out real news?

*Polarization. We don’t have to be victims of it. We can take control and seek other options if the polarizing trend continues. (Is a third party out of the question?) Look at the Earth. The poles are needed, but they are small. Most of the world is temperate. Interestingly, “temperate” in non-climate terms means moderate or self-restrained.

I believe our country was great before being told it was not, meaning we can hold on to our values and still get along. Our system is set up for checks-and-balances and pendulum swings. It’s not authoritarian. You have a voice. I have a voice.

So…I believe we can each make a difference in the days ahead.

And maybe, just maybe, we really can find our way. This is our opportunity.

Julian of Norwich wrote this during the time of the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

May it be so.