The election is over, my guy won, and I have done my proverbial share of dancing in the streets. It is now Obama's job to lay the groundwork to get the nation out of the mess we are in, and pick the right people to help him. I don't envy him the job, but am very glad he is stepping up to do it.



In the meantime, I have plenty of work to do myself. I have my day job to do effectively, two kids to guide and protect, a book to write, and another to promote.I have to make sense of a stagnant income and figure out how it will continue to get me through a more expensive world. I want to help the community when I can as well. Volunteer when possible. Shop at small businesses when I can. Give a little less to the big guys who have plenty and a little more those who are honestly and nobly trying to make their way.



For many of us there is that capability to reach inside and give even a little bit more than what we are giving. I have a fundamental belief that when you do the right thing for the right reasons things will turn out okay. But that doesn't mean there won't be a struggle getting there.



Hard times are not healed by hard hearts. There are some who  cling to the remnants of rumors, who still fight the ghosts of an election season. While it is healthy at times to disagree about specific issues we should not let those disagreements define us. There is good in all of us. If there was ever a time to see that, to celebrate it, and to share it, it is now.



My novel, No Sensible People, written long before the recent political battles, touches on this as a liberal young woman is granted custody of her conservatively raised niece. Here is a quote from Stuart, one of the most "sensible" characters in the novel, who happens to be gay. The young girl, Jennie's, reaction to meeting him was to scream. This is how he addresses it.



“You weren’t screaming at me. You were screaming at your own fear. You can’t fight fear with anger. It doesn’t work that way."



And it doesn't. Not in my novel. Not in my country. We will run across many things we don't agree with or understand over the next four years and throughout our lives. But the time has certainly come to stop screaming.



We need to move along. Tomorrow is our day. With an attitude of peace and cooperation we can make it better. Only when we choose to see the beauty will the bruises start to heal.



Gretchen Lee Bourquin is the author of the novel No Sensible People, available in print from Lulu.com and Amazon.com. A preview of the 2nd edition is available as a free download for a limited time via her website.