Five years ago, I was skeptical of Obama and his rhetoric. Hope and change: they sounded good but they were abstract and, I worried, empty. What happened last night was not abstract. What happened last night was an answer to the question “Who are you, America?” Minorities, women, kids–we voted and our votes made all the difference. This is not a perfect president or a perfect Senate, but it is one chosen by people who refused the systematic attempts to disenfranchise and silence them for the last two years (and obviously long before that too).
When Obama enumerated some of the values that make America great last night, he began with love. Love, charity, duty, and patriotism. What a gift. A leader who loves first and offers it to all of us. I didn’t realize how much this election had hurt until I heard that. I think it can be a balm for everyone. At least, that’s my hope.