A Historic Moment

Yesterday was truely a historic day for this country and I could feel it throughout the day. I was worried the lines might be long at the polls so I planned to go at 10 am and when I got there there was just a few people in line so I was able to vote very quickly. But the best part about going to vote was having Kellin & Ethan there with me & having the opportunity to explain to Kellin what I was doing. I told him that in America we get to choose who will be our President and who will lead our country. I explained to him that this is a very important thing that not everyone in the world gets to do and that even at times in this country, there were people who weren't allowed to vote because of their race or gender. I told him that I was so happy to get to vote and let my voice be heard. I was also so proud of Kade for going to the polls last night for the FIRST time in his life (crazy huh?).
As Kade and I watched the numbers come in for this election, we both could feel that something historic was happening. But, not only historic because Barack Obama is the first bi-racial president, but because so many people felt the spirit of democracy and so many young people participated in making their voice heard. For me, the historic moment was to see a CHANGE in politics, to see a leader be elected because of the strength of his character and not because he won the smear campaign. I admired the way he handled the attacks that came at him throughout this process and the way that he continually talks about unity and personal responsibility. His speech moved me. It moved me because he recognized that he can't do this on his own, that each of us play a role in our communities and families, that together, by doing our part, we can help our country rise above our current problems.
Lastly, I loved that he spoke directly to any person, organization, or country that would try to threaten us or attack us and told them point blank, "WE WILL DEFEAT YOU!" I hope that terrorists around the world heard this promise and know that we will not back down when it comes to defending civil liberties and democracy around the world. I am proud to be an American today, I am proud of this beautiful country we live in and I am thankful to be so blessed to raise my kids during this great time.