I made up a new word the night before last– election night. That word is “Obamarific.” This is how one feels when one experiences a combination of Nyquil, champagne and hope. Obamarific. On Tuesday night, my husband I watched history as our beautiful, sleepy little boy sighed in his sleep over the baby monitor. We turned the video camera to each other to describe why this night was so important. I think I remember saying that change is coming; that when I was your age, son, Richard Nixon was President and the first person I ever voted for was Michael Dukakis. But now the first presidential election of my son’s life resulted in Barack Obama being the first African-American to live in the White House. We reflected on being at the White House on September 9, 2001– two days before 9.11. I recall so vividly those beautiful, powerful portraits of Jackie O. and Lady Bird and realizing that Michelle Obama’s portrait will be a permanent fixture in that palacial setting. Amazing. I admitted that I was nervous when Obama took the stage at Grant Park in Chicago. I know many people are still not happy with this outcome. But I forced out the negative feelings and began to envision the next eight years, and hope returned. We talked about how smart, intellectual, purpose-driven people will soon replace the greedy, fearful, cutthroat politics that have threatened the very stability and security of our country. I imagined throngs of brilliant people coming together again to literally reshape our nation’s priorities and restore respect and admiration on the world stage. We told our son, in this very shaky, emotional video, that hope and light will always defeat the land scorching politics of fear. I believe if Obama doesn’t know what to do, he will seek out and get the right people to help him do it– not yes men who wear their pride and self-interest like flimsy armour. We’re done with that. When Obama have his acceptance speech, I could hear millions of college students ripping Canadian maple leafs off their backpacks because now, it will be a wonderful and much safer climate for Americans who want to explore our world and who seek understand our place in the world. We have been called to give, not take; to learn, not preach; to believe, not dwell in cynicism; to work and not stand idly by as others make decisions for us. This is a great time to be an American, and we so happy beyond measure that this is the president who will be the guardian of my son’s childhood. He will never have the feeling that our system shuts people out because of the color of their skin. The Obama Family is definitely getting a Christmas Card this year.
