My garden today doesn’t care that it’s November in Scotland and winter will soon take down those hopeful blooms. I know its roots are deep, and with care, the garden will grow and bloom again.

Following this week’s election in the States, a friend sent me a quote. “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”—Victor Hugo

But actually, I realized, I don’t need to be upset. Just like my garden responds to the changing seasons, the election worked the way it was supposed to, responding to the will of the majority. I sent this quote back to my friend.

Nations, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul. —Victor Hugo

As an American expat now living in Scotland, I’m surrounded by history that goes back thousands of years, gardens that come back every year, and a sun that rises every day.** 

“The reappearance of the light”: dawn, viewed from my garden, Isle of Arran, Scotland

**(We do, however, also have guest rooms in case you would rather view the next 1463 dawns from outside the USA.)