It’s a brand new world, little one. This morning our President, Barack Obama, was sworn in as President of the United States. He is the first African American President in our history, and his inaugural address was outstanding. I left the auditorium, where I watched him speak, thinking that I might have found the first father figure of my life. Obama and I come from surprisingly similar backgrounds: we are both the children of divorce twice over, both of us having been abandoned by a father and a step-father in the process. We grew up poor, fed on food stamps, and forced to make our own way through life with little help from family. And we now find ourselves without parents to witness our achievements.
This is not the usual path for a US President, and for this reason, I admire the man even more.
President Obama spoke of both sacrifice and hope, and he was not afraid to remind us of the challenges ahead. He was honest enough with the American people to acknowledge that our country is broken and in need of repair, and that these changes will not be easy, nor will they be comfortable for all. If we hope to remain an economically viable nation, tough decisions must be made, and I think we may have found the man to do the job.
He also mentioned Muslims and atheists in his speech, including them as valued and respected members of society. Just imagine: a United States President reaching out to non-believers and offering a hand of peace to the nations of Islam.
It warmed my heart to finally feel included in such a way, and it thrilled me to think that America might stop painting all Muslims as extremists and terrorists.
It was a grand day, little one, and I can’t believe how fortunate you are to be born into this remarkable new world.
you're without parents?
Posted by: ilovemygirls3 | January 21, 2009 at 06:15 PM
You know what I mean.
Barack has a mother-in-law as well, but I have also heard him speak of the sorrow of not having parents around to witness his success.
Posted by: daddy to be | January 22, 2009 at 03:02 AM