And the Winner Is...

November 2, the day we had both dreaded and dreamed of, finally arrived. A restless sense of "What do we do now?" prevailed. We had poured everything we had into the campaign, working nonstop even into the wee hours of the morning of November 2. It was hard to let go and let the actual election take place. We could do nothing but try to occupy our minds until the polls closed at 7:00 P.M.
Instead of hosting a watch party, we chose to stay home and face the returns alone. We knew our supporters were pulling for Doug, but we felt that regardless of the outcome, we needed some time together to make the transition.
Election results began to roll in by 7:30. After listening to the first radio reports, I decided I could not handle the suspense. I quit listening and tried to block out the returns with a book and TV. Doug gamely listened and hoped. At 8:24 Keenan called and said "It looks like you won!" Then seven minutes later, he texted Doug and said, "All polls are in but one. You got 55%. Congrats!" In the meantime, Keenan was also texting Lauren and Shannon about the progress. At one time Doug was talking to Shannon with his cell phone to one ear and talking to Lauren with my cell phone to his other ear; then Keenan called again on the land line. After he shared a victory moment with the kids, the phones rang nonstop for several hours.
In addition to two radio interviews and one newspaper interview, friends and family called in their congratulations. An excited group of friends showed up at our house to wish Doug well and share in his excitement, and the phone calls continued. Doug was so elated that he did not sit down for at least three hours!
Although Doug and I worked harder than we ever imagined we would on his campaign, numerous volunteers put in hours of their time. They supported the campaign financially, canvassed door to door, mailed post cards, made phone calls, hosted receptions, and talked to their friends about Doug's candidacy. We are forever grateful. In addition, our family was asource of emotional support. Not only did they volunteer, but they loved us unconditionally through it all. We could not have survived without them.