My middle name is 'Hope', as is Munchkin's. This morning, at breakfast, I taught her how to say 'President Obama'. We looked at the president elect and his family--"Michelle ... and the daughters!"--whom she demanded to see several times again as she ate her morning bran muffin.
To see her pointing at the new American first family, to smile and name them, as though it were the simplest, most natural thing in the world, restored my hope.
I know it's not my country, not my election. I'm having trouble understanding why this new president means as much to me as it does. It does. Hope and promise.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Hope
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8 comments:
Absolutely. It should matter to you.
It's like finding out that the new neighbors are nice and have kids your age. The noisy teenagers will vacate soon. Rock on!
My little guy says barackobama with a smile, like it's all one big word. A word that always makes him smile, which makes me smile in turn.
It's one of the things that moves me about Obama's election, the way that so many around the world share the excitement. It's not just about the US.
I keep getting choked up and teary-eyed.
Well, it is nice to have the rest of the world like our president-elect this time around. I just hope everyone, both in the US and around the world, cuts the guy some slack the first time he does something they disagree with. Expectations are so high- there is no way he can live up to them.
Still, I was all teary-eyed last night watching the speech, and the crowd scenes from Grant Park. Even if he doesn't live up to the expectations, he has already done something pretty special.
It's interesting, isn't it? It's significant to people all over the world, who look to the United States to set a good example for us, I think. You know how you want to admire your older brother? Well, I think that's how Canada feels about America sometimes.
Hope. It is an amazing thing.
I explained the election to my kids last night, showing them the newspaper headline and explaining that Obama was now the President of the United States and that means he's the boss.
"No," Bub interrupted. "I'm the boss."
"You mean you're the president of the United States?"
Bub grinned. "Yes. I am."
I was pretty cheerful the day after their elections, too.
This decision makes me ridiculously happy. I feel like America is finally moving forward.
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