It has been a divisive election season – both for our island communities and as a nation.

As we write this, we don’t know the results of the Nov. 6 election. Whichever way the charter review propositions go, whomever is elected to county council, there are going to be some people who are disappointed. Some will win, some will lose. It’s the nature of the game.

As we move forward as individuals and in solidarity as citizens, we’d like to remind everyone that even if our opinions differ, we are still connected by our shared love of these special islands.

We have all chosen to live here, we have all chosen to be members of a tight-knit and loving community. We can disagree and we can lose our tempers, but at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: to live in a safe, self-sustainable, thriving place.

Now the election is over, let us shake off the animosity and join together again as neighbors. Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and the holidays are around the corner. Let’s remember what we’re thankful for and the strength of our shared goals – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.