There is nothing that will cause Republicans to feel shame, admit they were wrong, or admit any cause for calamity other than liberal malice. Do not make your happiness contingent on a hope of Republicans admitting or understanding fault. Make a different plan for your life.

I want you to be happy, but not about an illusion. I want you to be happy about the very real things that are amazing about you and your life. There is a lot in your life that justifies anger, or fear, or sadness, but that isn't all you are. That isn't all your life is.

Be happy about the hope of possible victories. About the very real possibility that the Senate might flip blue (if we work hard enough), for starters. Be happy about the things we might build if we can get a majority of progressive lawmakers.

But also be happy about the things that will persist through any calamity. Love. Art. The gorgeous independence and privacy of your own thoughts. Your ability to matter to other human beings, to improve your surroundings, to improve yourself.

I'm not going to scold you for feeling malice toward those who have felt malice toward you. But I just don't think it benefits you. That's my main concern. It feels good (I mean, that's why THEY do it, right?), but there are ways to feel good that also make your life better.

Cleaning your sink feels good. (When you're finished, anyway). Voting feels good (it really does, try it!). Helping someone who's lost feels good. Finishing a work project feels good. Taking a bath feels good. I'm not trying to deny you things that feel good.

But "I have a right to my anger! I have a right to my hate!" just falls strangely on my ears. I have a right to sit in a puddle of battery acid. I do. I have that right. Don't try to take it away from me.

It is your choice. It is your right. Do what you like.

But if it were me, I'd take a bath, maybe. Listen to my favorite song, maybe light a candle. Help drum up votes for a progressive Senator. Toss a few bucks to someone to help them pay for a surgery.

What you feel doesn't matter. What you do matters.

Have hate in your heart, or love. Have forgiveness, or resentment. Have hope, or despair. Have rage, or joy. So long as you vote, and take baths, and help those less fortunate when you can, and create things, and care for your friends, what's it to me if you sit in acid?

It makes me hurt to watch, that's all. But my feelings aren't your responsibility. I'd rather you do all those things while feeling reasonably good, but your job is to direct *your* life, and my job is to direct mine.

I care about you. I want the best for you. I want you to do good things, and have good things, and feel good things. I won't always get what I want. Often I won't. Same goes for you. But I'm going to keep trying. I hope you will, too.