If You Truly Want Peace, It’s Time to Prove It

In the last couple of days, I’ve heard plenty of statements like these:

“I know a lot of people who voted for Trump, and now I don’t know if I want them in my house.”

“I’ve decided I’m not going to speak to my sister anymore because she supported Clinton. That’s okay…we were never that close anyway.”

“If you don’t agree, unfriend me.”

I have one thing to say (and it’s important to note that I’m saying it to myself, too, because I’ve had plenty of my own sullen moments ever since that map of the U.S. started turning red Tuesday night):

We can’t keep doing this.

We can’t keep blaming candidates for running a divisive campaign and then resort to divisiveness ourselves.

We can’t get angry and afraid because someone threatens to ban Muslims and deport Hispanics—and then ban people from our own social media accounts and deport friends and family from our lives.

We can’t say we want peace and keep bracing for attack.

If there was ever a time to understand why we think the way we do—and then start thinking differently—it’s now. I know this for a very personal reason.

I voted for Clinton, and my husband voted for Trump.

Here are five points that help keep peace in our own divided house. Hopefully they’ll help you, too.