Mr. President

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.
from Inaugural Poem by Maya Angelou

No matter how you feel about Barack Obama's politics, there is no question that we are living in a most historic moment. In our own politically divided family (I voted Obama, Bryson voted McCain... yes, yes, we're a regular Arnold & Maria!), we now stand united in respect for this moment in time. A moment that would have been impossible just a few short decades ago.

I couldn't help but think that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, whose birthday we just commemorated yesterday, must be smiling down at the political proceedings today. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, he exclaimed:

With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together... to stand up for freedom together. ...Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, "I Have a Dream," August 28, 1963

And interestingly enough, exactly 45 years from the date of that celebrated speech we watched another pivotal moment as Obama accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

I couldn't believe how history was literally unfolding before my eyes.
Finally, America at large seemed to be judging not by the color of one's skin, but by the content of one's character, to paraphrase Dr. King.

Personally, I have great optimism for our new president. I truly hope that he can unite our country's wounded spirit and rebuild some of what has been worn down.

In the closing remarks of Obama's acceptance speech in August, he stated:

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Sen. Barack Obama, IL, Democratic National Convention, August 28, 2008

Here's hoping he stands true to his principles.
Good luck, Mr. President.
And God bless.