The Waiting Period: Keep the Faith
I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months.
The grief, sorrow, and pain. The worries and the struggles.
But we’ve also witnessed your courage, your resilience, and the generosity of your spirit.
I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months.
The grief, sorrow, and pain. The worries and the struggles.
But we’ve also witnessed your courage, your resilience, and the generosity of your spirit.
~ Excerpt from Kamala Harris’s Vice President-Elect Acceptance Speech
I received a text from a colleague that read ”Keep up the faith Imani!!!”. It appeared to be random, unprompted yet rather timely. I don’t know what inspired my colleague to send the text that day and in that moment. It was the perfect reminder for me to press forward.
Days later I noticed “Keep the faith” as the banner on President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris ‘s Twitter pages; obviously not a coincidence. I thought, could it be that we are rallying together in faith at such a time as this? Apparently people were and I hope people are.
Last week was very anxiety-inducing for most of the nation. People across the globe were tuned in to the latest updates. What a movement to witness and be a part of. It took an entire week for the election results to be called. Some chose to completely unplug from social media and the news, others claimed they would unplug but were drawn in at some point throughout the week (myself included) against better judgment. The wait was rather intense and quite the rollercoaster. Dare I mention, I‘m not a fan of rollercoasters so I was not a happy camper. Yet, keep the faith.
The presidential announcement came over the weekend and BOOM, you would have thought it was New Year’s Eve. People joined together in the streets, cars honked their horns in a cacophonic cadence and opinions and reactions began to flood every social media platform.
It was unlike anything I experienced before; a build up that spawned mass anticipation, met with a mass celebration. It made evident that fair conquered fear. Faith resulted in triumph. Faith healed and renewed hope.
The wait can be gruesome. Whether it be that job prospect or that promotion or maybe you have been in a position that you feel you’ve met your threshold, it isn’t easy. You’re waiting for a “sign” that now is your moment. You might also be waiting for victory to take hold on your job as a result of a conflict or dispute. Whatever it may be, know that the process will test and stretch your faith. Additionally, there are messengers along the way that deliver a message to keep you encouraged; angels unaware.
When it appears to be all said and done, I would like to remind you to “keep the faith”, it’s not just for a moment in time. It is everlasting and steadfast in every situation.
So, I’m thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women.
Asian, White, Latina, and Native American women throughout our nation’s history who have paved the way for this moment tonight.
Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality, liberty, and justice for all, including the Black women, who are too often overlooked, but so often prove that they are the backbone of our democracy.
Excerpt from Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’s Acceptance Speech