It was already dark out at 6:30 p.m. when I walked into my mom crying on the couch.

Our living situation had gotten tougher, and with the re-election of President-elect Donald Trump, she was terrified that it would only get worse. We felt the grief of a nation’s young and old that night.

When I got home earlier that afternoon on election day, I knew the first thing I had to do was call my mom; she needed to talk about it. We all already knew the successful candidate, and from what she’d vented to me about these past months, I knew that this was her worst nightmare. 

Now that Trump is back, she said we need to think of the vulnerable, those who need help the most. A mother of three, she was already preparing for the storm.

We both realized that while there was time to grieve, it was important to get back up on our feet and gear towards the community.

As Daniel Hunter’s Waging Nonviolence article on Trump’s re-election provides, the first thing to do is center yourself. Yes, you should grieve; nothing good ever comes out of bottling up emotion. But after letting it out, calm down, keep a clear head, and think about those around you.

Just because Trump’s back in office doesn’t mean you can’t unionize your workplace. The Republican Party (GOP) can’t stop you from starting a vegetable garden in your backyard or making plans with your relatives and peers to protect BIPOC and LGBTQI+ family and friends. 

Participating in your local politics is equally as important. Attend city hall meetings and community events, and advocate for better conditions for your immediate surroundings—because while Trump is all the way in Washington, D.C., you’re still closest to the people and things that matter most: your community.

Election stress has really gotten to my family, but most of all, my single mother. This resulted in fighting between her and her boyfriend, putting the future of the home we’ve built into question. When he got home that night, I found her crying on the couch; I was able to talk to both of them.

That night, we were all reminded that what matters most is keeping the bonds of community strong in light of these times. It was made clear that the most urgent priority was to take immediate action to protect who is most important to us—that the home we built couldn’t afford to break in the years to come. 

Individually, you can be a thorn, but together, we’re a tree. America is a forest, and through cooperation and planning, we can resist wildfire.