Even at 4 and 6 years old, you each knew who you wanted for President. I sat in silence … and in awe, watching one of you cheer for Mr. Trump and one of you cheer for Mrs. Clinton. A lot like our nation, you were sharply divided. And although you are not old enough to actually vote, you are plenty old enough to walk away with a few lessons learned.
1. Life is not perfect and it is not fair. No one ever promised it would be. Someone will always win and someone will always lose. The sooner you realize that my sons, the better off you will be. In real life, we don’t get “participation trophies” … nor should we. You must learn to win graciously. And you must learn to lose graciously. You won’t always get your way in life. But how you choose to react, well … that you can control. Be the voice of peace.
2. You are brothers … and I don’t just mean by blood. Don’t allow politics to divide you. You are both CHILDREN OF GOD. And therefore, it is important to look around and remind yourself we are ALL children of God – that means we are ALL family. You are related to every republican. To every democrat. To every independent. You better treat your family good because your Father is looking down on you. He is watching. He is listening. Make Him proud.
3. Spreading hate and anger only hurts YOU. Saying mean things only makes you look bad. Doing mean things only makes you look bad. We have limited time on this earth … use your precious energy and time for the good of society. Like I tell you all the time, stop complaining and make a difference. Roll up your sleeves and get to work for the betterment of mankind.
4. Fighting “within” only empowers the real enemy. The world is watching right now. Literally, the world. We must come together. We must forgive. And we must use our brains and our hearts to find common ground. This is not a choice. This is a NECESSITY. Remember, we are The UNITED States of America.
5. Freedom is not free. Men and women died for you. Don’t ever forget that. The fact that one of you can freely cheer for Mrs. Clinton and one of you can freely cheer for Mr. Trump is a blessing onto itself. Focus on that. You are blessed to live in a democracy. Focus on what connects you in this democracy, NOT what divides you.
6. You are better than NO ONE. No matter what someone’s race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, political views – WE ARE ALL EQUAL because we are all Americans here. We all salute the same flag. We all want respect. We all want a fair chance. We all want to feel appreciated. If you TRULY treat other people how you want to be treated, all of the anger you are seeing now in the world would slowly vanish. Be that guy.
7. Everything in life is a choice. Maybe one day you will run for President. Maybe one day your children will run for President. Before you bash one party or another, think about Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton being your son or your daughter … would you want anyone to say such hateful things about your child? Put yourself in someone else’s shoes – always. And think before you speak.
8. Don’t judge. It is not your place to judge either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump. Don’t get sucked into the firestorm on social media. Just vote. Every election, vote. Every time you can, vote.
9. Respect your President, regardless of your political affiliation. Regardless of whether you voted for him/her or against him/her. The votes have been counted. I am raising you to respect authority … just like I tell you to respect your teachers, respect police officers, respect your elders … respect your President. Respect the office.
10. No one is perfect. Not you. Not me. Not Mr. Trump. Not Mrs. Clinton. No one. So as you grow up, I hope both of you can look back at this election and take away this fact – NO ONE WINS WHEN WE FIGHT. NO ONE. This probably won’t be the first election, nor will it be the last, in which one of you is thrilled with the outcome and one of you is disappointed. Many things in life will work this way. That’s o.k. because TRUE happiness comes from within, regardless of who is, or who is not in the Oval office.
Read this once and read it again my boys – Many controversial issues will arise during your lifetime and if you ever find yourself looking around and saying, “I’m just ONE person, yet millions are divided, how do I make us a team again?” Well, close your eyes and remember what I say to you every day … show compassion. This is a simple rule. But it applies to every aspect of life. Every human has the right to their own emotions. But at the end of the day, it always starts with just one woman or one man’s dreams, and faith grows. Love grows. Don’t open your mouth or get out your pen unless you plan on helping our great nation. Unless you plan on helping unify all of our people. Stand up to the negativity – DON’T ALLOW IT TO STOP YOU FROM DOING GOOD. Like my daddy still says to me, “I raised you better than that.”
