Margaret O’Leary Sweater // Jeans {similar} // Heels {simialr} // Bracelet {on super sale} // Striped Turtleneck // Locket 

Oh man, I’m not going to lie. I might be smiling in these photos from a few weeks back, but I definitely wasn’t smiling yesterday – or the night before after around 9PM. The last 24 hours have been tough, and I know a lot of us {technically more than half of us!} have been in a daze the last few days after the news of a particularly brutal defeat.

I walked out of my apartment yesterday morning in a fog, and even though I spent the first 30 minutes scrolling through my very sad newsfeed no part of the election seemed real. And I felt heavy, really truly heavy as I tried to understand how this happened – how this could happen in a country I have so much hope and love for? I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by so much love in my life, but the news really hit my like a ton of bricks and everything this morning hurt.

I think lots of people had the same reaction last night, like talking to a cheating ex-boyfriend saying, “America, I thought I KNEW you.” But really, I don’t think we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into, and unfortunately I still don’t think we really know until next year comes along. I’m scared of the bigotry, hatred, anger, sexism {the list goes on…} that our president-elect embodies, but I’m even more frightened that so many people evidently feel the same way.

I walked to the L this morning and saw a lot of the same people I usually see on my walk to work – a flood of DePaul students walking on campus {looking more defeated than normal}, a few guys getting free breakfast from the church down the street, the woman next-door who’s 8 months pregnant, and my muslim neighbors down the block who looked like their heart hurt too. And I couldn’t help getting a little teary eyed thinking “what about these people, what are they feeling right now?” I thought I was struggling this morning, but I don’t know what it’s like to be so much more legitimately afraid of what’s to come. Across the street from me is an elementary school, full of kids who I’m sure are very confused and sad this morning – asking questions that teachers and parents shouldn’t have to answer. It breaks my heart, and I never thought this would be the America I woke up to a few days ago.   And while I’m tempted to wallow for a few more days, I’m trying to figure out what I can possibly do to start the healing our nation so desperately needs right now. A lot of us are sad and confused, and even more of us are vowing to put more kindness into the world. I’ve been amazed at all the things people are doing to do their part – from donating to Planned Parenthood, to volunteering, to one old co-worker who said that she woke up this morning and signed up as a foster parent in Chicago so she could make the world a better place. Talk about really trutely inspiring. 

And while all this is incredible this week, I want to make sure that sentiment lasts long beyond the next few days, weeks, or months. I don’t want acting on kindness to be like a new years resolution where we’re all really into making the world a better place for a few days, and then get swept up in our daily lives again. If everyone can vow to do one good thing to make America kind again, think about how much good we could truly do around us. And if we vow to do something good that impacts beyond just today, we can really change our communities, our states and our nation in the long run.

I’m volunteering to mentor and tutor a refugee family for the next year in Chicago {if you’re local and want to help too – check out Refugee One’s website here}, and giving as many gifts as I can to low-income students in Chicago for the holidays as a small way to do my part. Sure, it’s not all that much – but if we all picked just a few things to help make the world kinder, we could truly make sure love really does trump hate. I’m inspired how we’re all coming together, and now I just hope that we can take all this sadness and turn it into something good that can unite us all once again. What the world needs now is definitely love. And kindness. And most importantly, action to make it better. Clearly I’m not feeling the whole outfit talk today – but I’ll be back at it tomorrow with some pretty pictures and a slightly more entertaining topic – promise! And no matter how you feel about politics or this election, I do hope that you find a way to put kindness into the world today – no matter who you voted for, we can all use a little love right about now to bring us together <3 xx