On January 20, 2008 I woke up to a morning of business as usual, scriptures, waking children, making breakfast and lunches, warming up uniforms in the dryer, dressing our cold, little children (because there is NO heat in homes in Mexico), getting my swim gear ready and driving the kids to school.
When I got home I checked email and CNN - Inauguration Day! I turned on the television and finally found a CNN channel that was in English. As I began watching the crowds gathering for this historical day I decided I would go and dismiss the children from school so that they could watch history unfold in their own country - even though we are living abroad.
I picked up the children and my sweet husband surprised us by coming home to view the Inauguration. So, there we all sat, in Mexico, a little family from America watching history take place back in our home country! I have to confess, at that moment I wanted to be home, in America, to celebrate freedom and democracy! I have found that living outside of her borders engenders a greater love for all that we have inside our great country!
Although opinions differ, factions can divide and political parties spar it seemed to me that our nation was celebrating together - not solely to welcome in a new president - but to usher in a moment in the history of our country that will change our children's history books! Together, as Americans, we portrayed to the world that we have risen above the mistakes of the past. Now, it is my hope, that together, as Americans - not Democrats or Republicans, Believers or Non-believers, Black, Brown or White - but together, we can form a "more perfect union". I sincerely pray for our new President - he has been blessed with this privelege "by the people" and now it is our turn as 'the people' to make our voices heard and hope that he truly does govern "for the people".
2 comments:
Yes, democracy in action: a beautiful and somewhat scary thing. It was a cool day, but I worry that people were more excited about the individual and less excited about the changing of the guard as President of the USA. (All of the "Obama" chants during the entire inauguration were a little over the top...not to mention the $170M bill to put on the entire production!)
I find it interesting that many of the people complaining about this stimulus bill about to be passed are the very same people who were voting for Obama. He always said he'd tax and spend his way out of the recession...and this is the way to pay back the liberal interest groups that got him elected - he'll fund all of their pet projects with our money (and our kids' money, and their kids' money).
Beautifully written.
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