answered prayers

Today is such a surreal day. I wish you could see outside my window. It's a blizzard. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen those white flakes, as big as soap bubbles, tumble from my little bit of southern sky? On his way to work, my husband texted me that it was snowing. Obviously not believing, or rather thinking, "sure, three little flakes equals snow around here," I ran, a little childishly, to the front window and gasped at the amount of white falling from above. Three hours later and it's still falling, starting to really stick in the grass and around the bushes and on roofs now. It's beautiful to watch. I feel light and quiet and peaceful, like somehow this snow and the events of the day could wash away all the sins of our region. Such a perfect notion on such a surreal day.

Barack Obama is now our President. I've been exploring my emotions about this historic moment lately. I voted for him, and I'm so proud of that, that I was able to vote for the first black president and watch him take the oath of office today. Watching him speak today, I remembered the passion I felt back in 2004 at the DNC when he first spoke, how I knew that if some day he could lead us, we would become a peaceful and inclusive society, one like I'd always hoped for. I thought then that was a distant possibility, not likely, not worth further thought. I drank the Obama kool-aid again sometime last year. I have been less enthused lately, but now I understand that that was simply nerves-- nervous that he'll be assassinated, nervous that he won't live up to the country's expectations, the world's expectations, my expectations. But he will. I hate faith and hope in him and in the way he inspires people. I haven't seen so many American flags in one place since 9/11 as there were in DC today, and I have never seen so many Americans inspired to act and volunteer like they did yesterday. That's what's so special about him-- the way he inspires people to be better, to want more, and to act on those feelings. 

Today I feel at peace. I want that feeling to last longer than I know the snow will. It will have melted away by this time tomorrow. Will this peaceful, hopeful, determined feeling endure in our country? I hope so.