This morning I prayed!
I mean conventional, traditional, on my knees PRAYED! Prayed and cried, simultaneously.
Sheesh, for a pagan-atheist-agnostic-Unitarian, that IS a big deal!
Like Annie Lamott, my prayers are mostly, usually, "help, thanks, and wow"!
But today, as the reality of the election sinks in (Obama, Warren, Murphy in FL, Grayson, the 2 Tammies: Baldwin and Duckworth, Jay Inslee/marriage equality/rec marijuana in my progressive state of WA!, larger majority in the Senate and on and on!) ... I pray more specifically in relief, in hope, in amazement. I pray for the safety of those I love and of leaders whom this world needs to take us to a more just, more conscious, more SCIENTIFIC place.
Still not sure who or what I am praying to, or why. Maybe it's the time of year ... assessing the year with both its bounty and its growth, turning more quiet and inward-looking. After a very tough fall personally (wildfires, health, family), and the unprecedented anxiety I felt over the election in the entire month of October (!), I am so thankful to have survived, to be recovering, to see the snow and turning of the seasons. That we have new leadership in our country that represents the BEST of us. That the people stood in lines for hours, no matter how shameful that is as a "democratic" country, to insist their voices be heard over the din of a very dark and dangerous opposition.
I sensed at the time that there was a level of shock, trauma and dysfunction over the way the campaign on the Republic side was run. Almost ever since the arrival on the scene of the devil's daughter, Sarah Palin, and her tea-party followers, there has been a voice in American politics that is reminiscent of some of America's darkest days: Jos. McCarthy, KKK, and that vein. I feel that Americans resoundingly defeated that voice this year. As Mr. Obama repeatedly told us, this was an election of very stark choices. There could be no mistaking what the Republicans stood for this time around.
Thank GODDESS / the universe / all that is good, that the American people chose, and demonstrated to the world, that we have our values in the right place, that we align ourselves with the progressive nations in the world, and that, although very flawed and witha long way to go, we are trying to right our course, and are earning the right to be seen as positive force in the world!
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Thank you for articulating so clearly what I am getting at! How did this country even come CLOSE to raising up as a leader someone like Romney and all he represents? I can only say that, as I see the bible as a story book about human nature (just as I do Shakespeare, Milton, Greek mythology, Hemingway!), these urges have been with humans as a species forEVER. This is just the selfish, tribal, perhaps survivalist (Darwinian) side of humans as animals, to exclude, to push the most vulnerable down. It seems that people have to constantly fight that side of ourselves and respond to, as Pres. Lincoln said, listen to our "better' angels."
Sheesh, I'm getting so religious this morning. Where is this coming from?! Normal human response to events beyond our control, that either go well and support us, or that harm or threaten us on a life or death level? This demonstrates to me, personally, that there is a part of us (or me, anyway) that simply responds to a sense of something larger than ourselves, what some call spirituality. It helps explain, understand, or is just called upon in times of dire need. I find it so interesting, anthropologically... 
It's great to have this conversation with you. Happy Thanksgiving, catbyte! 
I remember Presidents waaaay back to Eisenhower (very, very young kid thinking "I Like Ike" was hilarious for some reason) and I have never been this nervous. There is just something extremely sinister about Romney and it was exacerbated by the fact that he surrounded himself with Bush era war criminals and Robert Bork, for God's sake. How could that add up to anything other than a gigantic clusterf&*k? And the ruthlessness in which Romney made decisions made me realize he had absolutely no compassion for anyone. And, it may seem silly, but the way he treated his poor dog, Seamus, was in itself a deal breaker for me. The hatred his "supporters" are spewing is scary too. That hatred would've been institutionalized and used to make decisions over women, minorities, gays, and anyone who was not exactly like them. The Republicans refused to pass the Violence Against Women Act and I'm sure both the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act would have died the same awful death.
This is going to be one heck of a thankful Thanksgiving, I'll tell you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, cilla, and I think all of us "evil liberals" will be counting our blessings! 
(And don't forget raising the minimum wage!)
Here's something funny: just got back from Tgiv with extended family. Lucky to have a mother-in-law who votes Dem and is a big Obama supporter! I was sharing with her how uncommonly (and down-right frighteningly) anxious I was leading up to election day. She concurred, stating that in fact her hair, which is just barely graying (at 85!), actually started turning at that time!
This is after a nice conversation with a sister-in-law who lives on the other side of the country, who said she too was terribly - scarily - anxious leading up to the election! And I thought it was just me! I called it "going fetal," spending inordinate periods of time in bed with my laptop, constantly checking polling (god bless Nate) and refreshing latest threads on DU! 
The rest of Tgiv extended family were Repubs, of the fundamentalist strain. Amazing that we successfully navigated the day without broaching the election outcome with these beloved (yes - beloved...though terribly misguided!..relatives! )
So great to make your acquaintance, catbyte. We've had a little respite from politics with the Thanksgiving break. Really looking forward to the substantive start of the Obamas' next term. Did I mention that we are getting TV for the 1st time in 20 years? I said I would, if Mr. Obama was re-elected. Got cold feet (I hate to have it change our quiet lifestyle), but ultimately decided I can't resist. In our rural area we have to go satellite, a 2-year commitment. I guess if we hate it after 2 years we can give it up. Certainly if a Repub wins the White house in 2016 it's going! 
Have a wonderful holiday season, stay safe, warm, and comforted in the fact that we are in good hands, for now!
Couldn't have done it without all those good people who dedicated their time and effort to making this happen. 
