To all my friends, and ESPECIALLY my younger friends and former students, please take a moment to read this... The election year we are in has been a very emotional one for people. There has been a lot of slander, hate-mongering, libel, mud flinging, and belittling on all sides. I'm sure your news feeds, like mine, have been filled with mean political memes, your friends' negative opinions, and all sorts of information that promote intolerance. This does nothing but continue to find new ways to divide us; politically, religiously, ethnically, and morally. This is NOT the way.

Whether our political views align or not, I want you to know I RESPECT YOU! I respect your opinion, your right to your opinion, and all of your differing views from mine. We are so blessed to live in a country where we are allowed to have these different views, and no matter what yours are, I respect you and honor your right to have them. Please don't get caught up in all the negativity that plagues social media, and please don't believe that everything you read is true. In this day in age, where companies get paid based on whether you click around their site, you cannot trust everything you read or hear. Take a moment to look up some truth. Don't deny yourself your right to follow your own instincts and make your own decisions. Reconsider everything you hear, especially if it doesn't sound right. Don't believe all propaganda, all the hype, be safe, be smart, and enjoy your life.

Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Hate does nothing but divide us, and love is ALWAYS the answer. Stay strong out there young ones, the world is not fair. Trust the ones you love, and love the ones you trust, and in the end...peace, love, unity, and respect ARE the way.