A spiritual requirement (for me).
Absentee ballot delivered to the Orange County, FL Supervisor of Elections office. Voting done. I have only missed one national election since I turned 18 and that was the year that my grandfather made his transition on election day. As a small child, I went with my parents each time they voted. They felt it was important for me my bother to learn the value of voting--even when we had to stand in long lines (maybe only long because I was a kid). My parents instilled in me why it mattered to vote. I can hear both parents saying, "If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain or to demand better from those in office." I have taken this to heart. I now see voting as a requirement in my spiritual life as well. Before voting I do my homework, spend time in prayer and meditation, and then fill our my ballot. I consider this and important past of my spiritual practice . On her blog site, Gratefulness, Kristi Nelson says, "Voting opens our hearts to our essential belonging, acknowledging our relatedness and interconnection. In the midst of that collectivity, voting is also an opportunity to act autonomously and to lift up our values uniquely, emboldened by our spiritual fortitude. To vote is to accept the proposition that we each matter and can make a difference, no matter what we are told to the contrary. Life is messy and our choices may often need to be imperfect, but in times like these “perfect” can truly be the enemy of the good. To vote is to rise to the occasion of an opportunity to say YES and to take a stand for the shared heart of our world… "