01.20.09

Is everyone else as full of hope as I am this morning? I know all of us didn't vote for Obama, but even those who did not surely feel a sense of optimism on this day. I wasn't sure I wanted to vote for him initially. I so wanted a woman in the White House, but I just wasn't sure I wanted that woman to be Hillary. When Obama won the nomination, my reservations evaporated. I listened to what he said, watched his face and gestures, and felt that sense of hope and possibility grow. As the mud-slinging increased, and as nothing stuck to him, I began to think that his election was a real possibility. Even when people continued to try to convince me that Barack wasn't really a citizen born in this country; even when his middle name was used to 'prove' he was a Muslim; even when his youth and inexperience were brought into play, the tide grew and gained momentum. On election day, I felt a sense of certainty: this was going to happen.
So today, I am full of hope. Let's give our man a chance to find his footing. Let's all pray that he has chosen his advisors well. Let's hope the rest of the world is willing to give us another chance to show that we're worth their consideration. That's what I'll be doing in the coming days, months and years: praying that Mr. Obama is able to fulfill his promise -- his own personal promise of statesmanship and integrity, as well as the promise to bring this country out of the doldrums and into a new age of hope, honesty, consideration for the planet and for each other.