When I began to write a monthly website article in 1999 I made the decision that I would not use my website as a platform in which to offer commentary about political issues and politicians, given my belief that the vast majority of people who signed up to receive my newsletter did not do so to read my views about the political arena. I also recognized that as I shared my thoughts about those values and practices that could help us and our children to lead more compassionate and resilient lives, some of the values I espoused might be associated with one political group more than another. I mention this since this article is in response to the presidential election that was held last week. However, I hope my thoughts and observations are not viewed as a political statement or as advancing a political agenda. Instead, they represent my attempt to understand the divisiveness, stress, and anger that have accompanied both the election process and the subsequent results and, more importantly, to consider the responsibility we all have to insure greater empathy, calmness, kindness, and unity in our communities. To be transparent, I voted for Hillary Clinton. Similar to…
