A Personal Letter to You All. Having a blog and a social media presence is an interesting thing. I started this blog as a way to share recipes and tell stories and parts of my life.
Putting yourself out there is not an easy thing. Some of you are only here for the recipes, which I respect completely. I’ve never been one of those bloggers who only share the food. For me, food is personal. Food is what brings people together. As a kid, food is what brought my family together, it’s where we connected and created memories and I do the same with my own family. So, for me, when I share a recipe, I naturally share myself and my connection to it. Over the years, you guys, my readers, my followers on social media have become my online family.
I share a lot on stories, you guys have been with me since my life in Wisconsin, my move to Pennsylvania, you guys watch and know my kids and our cat and when I’ve met some of you in person, it’s been a joy!
A Personal Letter to You All
This past week as we all know was a pivotal one for our country. The Presidential Election. I know some bloggers who are very open about who they support and why and others who do not. Politics is always, for lack of a better word, a very sensitive topic. It’s personal and deeply meaningful for a lot of us.
Throughout this entire election process, I have never tried to steer anyone, or shared openly, who I voted for. I did, however, encourage many of you to VOTE.
Whenever I post anything related to Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, (who I love) anything that may come off as political to some of you, I get the angry direct messages and emails. It could be just me posting that I was reading Becoming, Michelle Obama’s book. I can’t even post that I am watching CNN without hearing from some of you.
A Personal Letter to You All
I understand that there may be many of you who are upset right now. You don’t want me to talk about politics. You think the election was unfair and think there was voter fraud. I know there are a lot of Trump supporters out there and I respect that. That’s the beauty of being an American. You can support and vote for whoever you want. and so can I.
I would love to be able to freely share my joy in yesterday’s news of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ historic win without receiving any negativity. But, let’s be honest, that would never happen. I was so happy yesterday watching the news, seeing all the people in the streets celebrating. I think most of us have watched the video of Van Jones, and I like many of you, was brought to tears. Not because he was emotional but because what he was saying was right. It resonated with me.
Looking Ahead to 2021
I am not trying to be preachy or anything with this post, I simply want to share how I’m feeling. I am happy. I feel hopeful. I feel hopeful for our country. But I know the next several months will not be easy. There are still many of you who are upset and angry.
I just want to let you know that I am still here cooking and bringing you recipes. I am still here sharing bits and pieces of my life. I only ask for mutual respect. If you read this post, thank you.
Thank you for sharing your beliefs! For me, openly sharing what you’re reading, celebrating President-elect Biden, encouraging folks to vote, and in your own way taking a stand against systemic racism and white supremacy. I have stopped following those who haven’t. Because to support those who are not taking those steps -large or small- is to inherently support the status quo, which is morally and ethically wrong. I pray that one day, we get to a place where all of us can see what has and does happen in the US and be able to comfortable that it’s not ok for people to die, or children to be locked in cages. Vice President elect Harris is a model to all of our girls and I’m so proud to be an American today. Thank you for all you do!
Hi Emily, thank you so much for this response!
Thanks for sharing this thoughtful post, Alice. I’m hopeful too.
Hi Betsy, thank you so much!
We have much work to do to make this country “great” for everyone, but like you I am more hopeful today than I have been. Thank you for your openness.
Hi Cathie, yes, agree with you. . excited to see change, people unified and healing for all people.
Oh Alice ! Thank you for sharing . As a fellow blogger I can relate to everything you are saying. I was in a celebratory mood yesterday like a lot of the country and I dealt with some negative response . My response – “i understand we have different beliefs but you always have a seat at my table. I’m happy . I’m happy to see people celebrating in the streets and it’s as simple as that.” I may never understand why racism, sexism and the like are not automatic deal breakers for some. If I think about it too much it just bothers me. I just tell myself that I am voting for who I think is best for the country and I wish them well. I really hope the divisive climate can simmer down and we can go back to voting on boring things like tax policies or funding of federal programs . I am so tired of how heavy everything is.
I think it’s going to be like this for a long while but we have to remain hopeful for a better tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!!
Don’t you miss the days when you heard that a Republican or Democrat won and you didn’t cry tears of disappointment or joy? It was maybe a little more than a shrug and then we all went about our business? I worry for America and how far the hateful rhetoric has become. Please keep sharing your love of cooking, delicious food, family, etc. and let’s keep the hope that Americans can see that we’re more the same than different.
YES!! Thank you, dear friend! Miss you!!
Alice, I’ve followed your blog and IG accounts for more than three years and I still find your content new and fresh. I too try to maintain a fun and positive IG account but I had to speak up for BLM and I lost followers. I only have three lolololol.
Thank you for sharing what so many of us are going through. We’ll get through this together.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! Yes, we will get through this together!!