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The election is over and, by the time you read this, we might or might not know who won. But, the votes will have been cast and all that is left is the counting. There is the possibility that when you read this we will know the winner. All that will be left is “what happens now?” Good question.

            I have a few thoughts about that.

            I had a nice conversation with my daughter about the election. I was surprised when she told me that she loved watching the returns. I have always enjoyed the Tuesday night television when all the networks are predicting this winner or that loser. But, for some reason, I was surprised when my daughter told me that she had already cooked her turkey chili and would stay up as long as she could for the returns.    

            Jessica is a teacher and has moved to central Florida after living in upstate New York for over a decade. Her political views are shaped by her age, her profession as a teacher, and are different from mine. Yet, we laughed at the candidates.

            She thinks Donald Trump is funny as he dons his trash truck persona and cooks fries at McDonalds and admits he is a genius at marketing himself. Yet she doesn’t agree with his politics. Here’s the important thing in our conversation about this contentious and, at times, ugly presidential campaign. We could laugh about it, poke fun at each of the candidates, and, when all is said and done, agree on one thing: we are family and we love each other.

            When I was growing up, one of the most pleasant places for me was my Granddaddy’s and Big Mama’s front porch. It had the prerequisite swing that any respectable front porch would have, plus plenty of rocking chairs. A breeze was usually comforting and it was the perfect place for conversations after a delicious Sunday lunch.

            The conversation was lively, especially when all my Granddaddy’s brothers were visiting. Many times the talk would include politics and not everyone thought alike. Like today, there were two parties involved, Democrat and Republican.

            There is a phrase that goes along with conversations and you may have heard of the “exchanging of pleasantries.” That was not always the case with these political discussions. In fact they could get pretty hot, just like today’s exchanges.

            One brother might have been a “Yellow-dog Democrat,” meaning that he would vote for a yellow dog before he would vote for a Republican. On the flip side of the coin, another brother might be what was known back then as a super-conservative, Goldwater Republican.

            My Granddaddy, Carl, would have been the Goldwater fellow, while his brother, Tom, the Democrat. It would get so heated that Big Mama might have to intervene with a, “Now, Carl, remember your blood pressure.”

            The disagreements were sharp and real, but never went beyond that comfortable front porch. At the end of the day, the brothers were family and, as the Bible says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

            There’s a difference these days. I have heard that families, friends, and neighbors have separated from each other because of the Election of 2024. It has become acceptable to “hate” one another because of which way a person votes.

            I understand the importance of this year’s election. Perhaps our beautiful nation’s future depends upon who wins. I have used my vote for what I feel is best for America’s future. I pray that everyone did the same.

I’m also thinking we could use a front porch to enjoy a respectable conversation. And, we need to find a way to love each other again.