“There Will Be Children Again In The White House”

Words fail me at this late hour, but the emotion of the truly historic election that placed Barack Obama in the White House is one that I will never forget.  Those gathered in our home for the evening were watching NBC when Tom Brokaw made the announcement.  It was simple, and it brought tears to the eyes.  “There will be children again in the White House.”  What a perfect way to say what America needed to hear.

We all come to this moment in our national drama by different routes and purposes.  One of the ladies at our election gathering was 86 years old, and marched for civil rights in Mississippi in the 1960’s.  She was one of the famed WWII riveters, and can recall more history than many will ever live.  The pride that she exhibited over this moment in our nation was so wonderful for all of us to see and hear as the evening progressed. 

As Barack Obama won the election we toasted the moment with a bottle of champagne that had been bought for the 2004 Democratic ‘win’ that John Kerry failed to produce.  As we all stood and clinked glasses to the ‘dawning of a new day in America’ we smiled, laughed, and some took off eyeglasses to wipe wet eyes.

“It is as if we can finally breathe again,” a 43-year-old college student and neighbor said, and then added that there is much work to be done to restore what has been destroyed due to war and economic mismanagement.  But he was hopeful.  We all are.

That hope for change was the core of the Obama movement that brought us to this point.  It is not a small thing to witness the power of a dream, or the impact a dreamer can have on a nation.  I dare say that Americans everywhere had a tingle when we watched our new President and his family march onto the stage in Chicago.  Without words his image alone said that greatness is ours to have again.

The speech that Obama made was stirring and meaningful.  For me one of the top reasons I supported Obama is the need to change the way that we relate and work with the world.  So I clapped loudly when I heard these words.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

Let the work begin.