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Before you rage, before you fall over in shock, will you hear me out, if just for a minute?

Today, I sit in sadness for an incredible life lost and in celebration of an incredible life lived. I feel for a life that I personally, as a woman, have many a reason to be deeply grateful for.

Yet today there has also been an edge—an edge of irritation, agitation, and (I’m just now finding the word) intolerance. I’ve been wondering for hours why I’m snapping in a way that’s uncommon for me.

As I stood in the shower on this Saturday afternoon, hoping to soothe myself and wash away this anger, I had two clear recollections from my earlier hours of social media surfing. My surfing—fueled by my hope to find a balm for my weariness, by my hope to find some glimmer of hope for this far too painful year, by my hope for anything to take away the ache within—did nothing but give me these two thoughts to contemplate.

The first, “Why now Ruth? Why couldn’t you hold on a bit longer?”

The second was a line in a post from a Democrat turned Trump supporter that went something like this, “You can’t say love your neighbor and hate Trump at the same time. It’s hypocritical.”

She’s right. You can’t say, “We need to end the violence, the hatred, the divisiveness,” and yet, hate Trump. It doesn’t work that way.

When he was first elected, I’d say I was close to hating him. I despised him for sure. Today, I despise his behavior. I do not despise the man. And that is not always easy. His actions and inactions turn my stomach many times over, yet my practice is to love him. He too is an expression of the Divine; he too is made in God’s image; he too is the unconditionally lovable, whole, and pure love part of everyone. Every. Single. Human.

Today, standing in the shower, like a lightning bolt, I found gratitude for President Trump, and for once I felt relief, hope, possibility. Let me explain.

First, I have to go back to #RBG and the question, “Why now?” Standing there, with the hot water flowing over me, it hit me. She had to go now in order to ensure Trump’s time in the White House was complete.

You see, what I’ve felt, and I sense others feeling, is a sense of resignation—a, “Why bother?” experience, a hopelessness, that our American government is so corrupt that we can never recover. That the problems are so systemic that they will never change. A sense that no matter what we do, it will be more of the same. I wanted to do something. But I did nothing because I had no idea what to do and didn’t really think it would make a difference anyway.

But that can’t stop us. We have to continue forward, if not but one small step at a time.

RBG’s final publicly shared wish was, “I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” Underneath that wish, there is no question, she wished for a new president.

And her death just may help make that, at least the underlying wish for a new president, a reality. She might be even more powerful in angelic form.

Let’s be clear, with our, effectively, two-party system, our alternative to Trump certainly isn’t saintly or perfect either. It’s not like a change in President is going to solve all that ails us. It definitely won’t. We’ll get some bad with the good and still that is a step forward. Trump moved us forward. And, his job is done. He did it well and it’s time for another—different—step forward.

Replacing divisiveness and a lack of empathy with compassion and a vision for the well-being of every American will begin to turn us toward reunion. It will move us toward a truer United States of America.

As a country, America has stood for unity, for acceptance, united with differences—a melting pot, as we’ve been called—with equal opportunity for all. Well, at least that’s what I thought we stood for. That’s part of what made me proud to be an American. Everyone was welcome here, no matter race, religion, culture. No matter anything.

But that was the promise, not the truth.

So Ruth had to leave us. She had to leave us to motivate us into action, because with the resignation, the hopelessness, the inaction, of those of us who do truly believe in equality for all, who believe in “love your neighbor” as yourself, weren’t rallying enough.

There was too much chance for Mr. Trump to remain in office and Ruth would have to wait another four years to retire. And, that just couldn’t happen. That wouldn’t work for her, for any of us. It certainly wouldn’t work for the sanctity of The United States of America that Ruth loved so much and worked tirelessly for.

President Trump’s service is complete. It is time for the next chapter of American history to begin. It is time for us to truly be united with, through, and because of our differences—genders, races, cultures, religions, philosophies, beliefs, everything. It is time to be a country united in love.

President Trump took office to be a leader in awakening us to the shadowy underbelly of American consciousness, not just White consciousness, but all consciousness.

I knew there were, what I thought to be small threads of racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry, in our country, and I thought we were moving beyond it.

I personally had no idea the level of white supremacy that still lived under our American breath.

I knew harassment still happened, but I focused on the fact that it had improved.

I knew politicians could twist the truth but had no idea how prolific it really was. Or, was it that it felt too big for me to tackle, so I ignored it?

Did I quietly think, “What can I do?”

I alone can do nothing. But united we stand, divided we fall.

Ruth did her part. It’s time for us to do ours. It’s time to rise and stand for our unity—for the rights of all—for the integrity of America. I am reminded of the Pledge of Allegiance I said every day in school.

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Thank you, President Trump, for showing us what every single American needed to recognize about our collective and individual consciousness, so that we could once again be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I’m grateful to you because…

>> I’ve seen the underbelly of racism that still runs rampant here. I realized that we didn’t learn from the nickname of one of our earliest colonial cities, the “City of Brotherly Love” or in truer vernacular, the “City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love.” I see that we need more love because without love we can’t have liberty and justice.

>> I saw misogyny demonstrated for us so that we could see the reality of how it still plagues our nation.

>> Sexual harassment was brought into so much light that it couldn’t stay buried any longer and the #MeToo Movement happened. Far fewer women are tolerating what they tolerated for much too long.

>> The treatment of veterans has come to our direct awareness, and I pray they get the support and services they truly deserve.

>> I now know what narcissism looks like in real time. As a society, we’re now talking about it. People are recognizing it in their relationships and that means there’s a chance for healing.

>> I now know that fake news does exist. I see that there are so many lies that we have no idea what the real truth is anymore. That is important for us to know. I’m no sociologist but when a society feels like it can’t trust anything and it no longer has any idea what the truth really is, that seems like the breeding ground for some pretty big problems.

>> We’ve experienced the pain of a country divided, and I’m not aware of a single person who gets true joy from this experience. We’ve suffered. Never have our families been more divided and angrier with one another. We’re being reminded of the value of love and acceptance.

>> I’ve become crystal clear that integrity is something not currently required for our country’s leadership. I would never hire or date or hang out with someone without integrity, yet I, and many others, have tolerated it in our leaders. I’m ready to take a stand for integrity.

Thank you.

I often say in my events, “Bring the unconscious conscious and change happens.” This is why I am grateful to President Trump. With him as president, we have brought the unconscious “egoic” patterns of America into the forefront and this has been an incredible service.

It’s is also why we can no longer hate Trump. I ask you to join me in gratitude for his service to the heart of America. He’s made his biggest contribution to us. In the words of Neale Donald Walsch, “What you resist, persists. What you look at disappears.” When we stop fighting against something, our enemy often simply leaves.

Hate begets hate. If you no longer wish to see hatred in this country, then, I implore you to find a space in your heart to love Mr. Trump. Your acceptance of his presence as a human does not mean that you agree with his behavior. We can absolutely reject a behavior, yet it does not serve humanity to reject the man or woman behind the behavior.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg made a life of looking at and bringing to light the inequities and injustices in America and transforming them. The current presidency has shown us that her work is not yet done. Her death passes the torch to the rest of us, to each of us, to stand for equality for all. Let us be ignited in our pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

Liberty. Equality. Love.

Our love and forgiveness of Mr. Trump will do more for the heart and soul of America than anything else. Let go of the hatred. Release the resistance and then stand for love. Now.

Do everything in your power to stand for a new president who can move us toward a country once again United. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for all.

~