Elections night party and the morning after

Another national election has come and gone: The results are in, and today, we move forward. For me, this election was significant not just because I had strong personal convictions about the issues our country faces, but because I was able to share that passion with my daughters and see them learn so much along the way.

Just a few days ago, I shared what it was like to get “up close and personal” with this year’s election process with our daughters by our side when we attended local rallies with the candidates. They watched as we parents filled in our ballots and went with me to drop them off at an early voting site. We put signs in our yard for the first time — actually the kids led that initiative with the help of their neighborhood pals.

We made elections lapbooks using a free election lapbook template, and we regularly discussed the significance of issues, amendments, and the local and national officials on the ballot. We even had our “color in” 2012 electoral map ready so we could fill in the projected results first, and then fill in actual results in real time for comparison. We weren’t going to miss a beat!

Fueling our family’s excitement this year was the fact that many of the neighboring families were equally engaged and passionate about the elections — kids included. We even decided to have an Election Night party together so that all of the kids could share in the fun, while we parents could count on each other for moral support if needed (and unfortunately, it was needed). The party included a blown-up version of our real-time electoral college map and electoral votes tally chart, patriotic hats, balloons and streamers, and of course, lots of snacks to hunker down for a long evening if necessary.

I have to admit that involving the girls so closely in the election process was as equally risky as it was educational and fun. The kids had to learn what it means to “respectfully disagree” when discussing politics with others, and, of course, how to handle disappointment with unwanted results. As election night progressed and we adults realized we were going to have to turn those “what if” conversations into “what happened is” explanations, I started to second-guess myself for getting the girls so involved. That feeling turned into absolute nausea as the girls prepared to fill in just a few more states, heard the news that they were not going to be coloring them in red, dropped their markers and left the room. Yikes!

Then I remembered that true growth, the real education of life, is never easy. It’s messy, complicated, and unpredictable. In fact, it’s impossible to fully comprehend with our darkened human understanding. However, that reality doesn’t have to consume us or destroy us, praise God! As an adult, I know this all too well. But would my young daughters be able to trust me on this one?

After we returned home, the house was quiet for a while as the girls prepared for bedtime. I resisted the temptation to turn news coverage back on to satisfy my own analytical inclinations so that the girls could go to sleep in peace. My 11-year-old daughter Audrey came into the room with her Kindle in hand and a smile on her face.

“So this is what I’ve decided, Mom,” she began. “I have decided that even though Obama won, we have a president who is a human being created by God, loved by God, who I can pray for, and that overall, God will always be King.”

WOW!

My big girl — the intellectual perfectionist and the girl who shared my lot in life as the first-born child — was wiser than I could be in that moment.

Lesson learned after all! My heart was deeply blessed. What a gift to be the mother of this precious child of God!

So we did pray: All three girls and I gathered in my room and prayed for the hearts of individuals in our country and our leaders. We prayed for God to equip us for His service, to purify us so we can shine more brightly with His light, and to lead us in sharing His love with others.

This morning, we opened our elections lapbooks and pulled up the latest news online so we could fill in the rest of those uncolored states according to the morning’s tally. Other than a few murmurs like “Florida’s still gray, really?” and “Colorado? Ugh!” the girls were generally in a good mood about it. They completed the fill-in-the-blanks on an electoral votes chart and elected officials list, folded the books back up and filed them away.

Without skipping a beat, my 10-year-old Claire wanted to talk about “next time,” of course — because she’s the talker.

“Mom, once you’ve run for president, are you not able to run again, like on American Idol when you make the Top 20 and you can’t come back the next year even if you don’t win?” I explained the details.

Next question: “Who do YOU think should run for president next time?” Hmm…

Statement of fact: “Ugh, I can’t believe I will only be 17 two elections from now and Audrey will be 18, so she can vote but I can’t!”

Big sister gloats a bit. Little sister makes a sour face because she’s realized big sister will once again be able to do something she can’t do that she really wants to do — even though it’s eight years away. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I remind them. “Why don’t we just enjoy the beautiful, sunny 70-degree November day that we’ve been given today, OK?”

And let’s eat that leftover Red Velvet election party cake after lunch!

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” — 1 Timothy 2:1-3