Today is election day in the United States.

Today feels odd. It feels like a sigh—election day is finally here—and a precipice—what will today bring?

I’m not sure, except…I know it will bring tomorrow. Regardless of the results of today, tomorrow will follow. We will wake up and face a new day. We might not have answers to our election uncertainties, or we might. But no matter the results, we will still face another day. No matter the results, we will have some issues to address. No matter the results, each of us has a responsibility in how we respond. Each of us has the opportunity to respond with wisdom, compassion, truth, patience, humility, and respect.

Let’s do that.

Because, you know, each of us has the opportunity to respond without those characteristics as well. We know our country is not united. We’re a country that has thrived within, and perhaps because of, its commitment to diversity, but we have allowed some of those differences to divide us. We have forgotten that we can be different with a foundation of respect and conversation. We don’t have to wrestle each other for sole access to freedom. We certainly shouldn’t be wrestling each other for sole access to power and control. We can choose collaboration, or we can choose disarray and decay.

What will it take?

• Humility.
• Empathy.
• Communication.
• Accountability.
• Awareness.

It’s the same things we want from our leaders. But it is not a requirement of them, nor of us. No one will make us live with those characteristics and values, but if we don’t, if we put ourselves first, we will all suffer.

Voting on election day is important. How we respond the day after the election is equally as important.