January 20, 2009

Sometimes, many times, over the past 8 years it has seemed like this day would never come. 8 years ago Ella was not here, we didn't live in our current home, I was 27 for goodness sakes! My toes had never touched the sand of St. John. A lot has changed in 8 years.

Personally, in many ways, for the better for my husband and my family. We have bought a new home and moved, welcomed a daughter, weathered an immensely scary and trying pregnancy only to welcome a delightfully perfect son, potty trained, pre-schooled, started kindergarten. We have accomplished a lot. We're still standing.

As a nation, well, the picture has not necessarily been as pretty. We've seen the horror of 9/11. We've seen that horror followed by the horror of two wars. We have seen our Constitution shredded. Today I heard our new leader state, "we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." We can be safe and we can uphold the ideals on which this nation was founded. What a concept.

I know I am doing something right because after the swearing in as the national anthem was being played, Ella bolted into the living room from where she was playing and very seriously turned to the tv, placed her hand over her heart and sang along. What a day. I feel so blessed to have lived to see this day.

I was watching one of the news programs the other day and Soledad O'Brien was commenting on having a conversation with her daughter, also 6 like Ella, about the gravity of this moment in history. O'brien said to her we will have a black president. Her daughter wasn't getting the significance. O'brien added, "ever!" Her daughter in disbelief responded, "We've NEVER had a black president." So foreign was the concept to her that she simply could not believe it had never happened before. What a different world my children grow up in than did I.

Welcome, Mr. President. You've been a long time coming!