SO, THAT HAPPENED

Hey. It’s Friday. You made it.

• It’s been a tough week. This political cycle… has been a lot. Seemingly everyone I talk to lately agrees that a big, heavy week of news like this one makes all of our other everyday troubles and tribulations feel that much heavier, too.

• With that in mind, I thought, well, we could write about the missteps of the past, or the challenges ahead. But we’re not going to do that, at least not today. We’ll have plenty of time for that in the coming months and years. It’s Friday. Lean back, crack one open, and let’s all take a breather.

• Instead, I want to note how completely floored we all were here by the outpouring of heartwarming pictures we received of your astonishingly beautiful pets. Wow!  You guys dang near crashed the Crooked servers. I received hundreds of submissions, which brought me so much joy today (can’t believe I get paid to do this). You sent me cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, snakes, rats, dwarf hamsters, parrots, turtles, bearded dragons, and even a pet beetle! Scroll down for a little sampling. We couldn’t possibly fit every amazing pic in one email. But don’t worry, we’ll find a way to feature more soon.

Before that, though, one thought to end the week: The next four years will be A LOT for us all to go through.

• It’s going to be tough — there’s no point in pretending otherwise. At the same time, there’s a great deal of historical precedent for the U.S. successfully getting through unthinkably hard times. This is the same country that weathered a civil war just 150 years ago. The United States of the 21st century is a multiracial, multicultural melting pot, and we have all the growing pains that come with that immense privilege. We got through one Trump administration by looking out for each other, and that’s how we’ll survive another. Progress is never linear, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

• In her concession speech on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris recalled one of her own slogans, with an added twist. “On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win,’” she told the crowd at Howard University in Washington D.C. “But here’s the thing, here’s the thing: Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.” When I think back on what this country has already made it through — bruised, scarred, but still intact — I choose to believe she’s right.

• Here at What A Day, we look for silver linings where we can find them. One of the brightest ones, from my point of view, is this amazing community, built around our plucky little newsletter and a handful of podcasts, which is on this journey ahead, step by step, together.

And with that, take a look at these cats, dogs and other amazing critters. They put a smile on my face, and I hope they put one on yours.

“This is my pup Cheddar. When I cannot find the will to continue in this world he is what keeps me going. He is the most handsome prince ever to walk this earth and everyone should see how sweet he is.” — Madison

Squeegee Biscuit’s favorite activities are “eating and sleeping. She’s currently eating her dinner and making little snorting sounds like a pig.” — Annie (bottom right)

Would you like fries with that?

“This is Callie. She’s the worst office assistant ever, but very cute.” — Melanie (bottom left)

“There are many sides to our bearded dragon, Ned. Here are two of his best – handsome and aloof and festive and ready to party.” — Nicole (top right)

Guilty!

“Meet Kiki, my daughter’s dwarf hamster. She’s almost 2 years old and fully grown at 4-inch long. She’s cute but fast so it’s difficult to get a photo of her, unless she’s eating a strawberry.” — Tanya (top left)

“This is Kevin. It’s been a hard week. Thought getting dressed up would make him feel better. Seems to have worked: Much happier poodle when he’s feeling pretty.” — Katie

“This is Ravioli, he’s my 25-pound cat and he loves to snuggle, so it’s like wearing a weighted blanket when he sits on your lap. His expression in these photos mirror how I felt post-election day, so they seemed appropriate to share this week.” — Eliza (bottom left)

Hazel, Edith, Rosie are clearly “plotting something.” — Richard

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