The Next Day

So history was made last night. Andy and I went to be excited, stunned, hopeful, grateful, and relieved. We were moved to tears several times, and even in listening to coverage this morning as I was getting ready for school, so many personal stories and people's thoughts on the election called up those same emotions. For me, I think they are tears of joy primarily... and perhaps the release of 8 years of waiting for a president for whom I could feel pride and admiration.

One thing that hits you in studying presidential history is how character and integrity seems to truly differentiate the good presidencies from the bad. Having admired Teddy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lincoln, Adams, Washington, and Kennedy for their ability to inspire, energize, comfort, exhort, and change the course of history, the ability to call Barack Obama the president-elect renews my hope that such leadership and vision is again possible.

I have heard from so many friends how they feel proud of this country again, and I know what they mean. Although it does not heal the deep divisions based on a history wherein democracy was not truly diverse nor representative of the variegated face of our nation, it's a step toward cultural and social evolution... bringing us a little bit closer to fulfilling the dreams and ideals upon which this country was based and which I think we all hold within our hearts as something worthy of pride and a great commitment.

We can became we did, and we did can become we will as history rolls forward and we are offered the challenge of taking a collective leap forward to write a new and courageous narrative for our nation, ourselves, and the generations to come.