Hail to the Cheif

What a big day. Just thinking about it has made me a little teary eyed. I know I didn't vote for Obama but I have enjoyed this monumental day as much as if I had voted for him. I love this day for many reasons...

• Watching my husband get more and more involved in politics, the nation, the state of our entire world. I love hearing his opinions and thoughts. It has made a huge difference now that he can vote because he feels like he is part of the action process and not just being acted upon.
• Teaching my children about our country and how the government works. Helping them understand our beautiful freedoms. Also, learning from them about tolerance and love. I was explaining to them yesterday about Martin Luther King Jr. We looked up some pictures of him on line and I found a picture of a water fountain that said, "White Only." I was talking about how some people judged according to the color of your skin and you could only sit in certain places or eat in certain places depending on the color of your skin. B saw the "White Only" drinking fountain and started giggling. "That's weird," he said, "How could anyone have white skin?" As I looked at our white refrigerator and our white microwave it occurred to me how right he was. "Nobody is going to be able to drink out of that drinking fountain!" He was as unfamiliar with the terms of white and black people as if he were a newborn babe. We all know that people are a subtle variety of colors, not at all white or black.
• The peaceful transition of power. The politics of President Bush and President Obama are so different, yet they both have the same ultimate goal... to heal the United States of America. To make us a strong, safe, stable country, a "good" country. As I have watched with horror the war in Israel/Palestine, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, even the interview on Univision of an ex-president of Mexico that is rumored to have siphoned millions of dollars from the country into his own pockets, I have felt blessed every day to live in a country with such a peaceful transition of power. They had their "social coffee" together this morning, rode over in the same car, smiled and waved. Nice.
• Last but not least this day gives me so much hope that we are moving towards an end of racism. I still hear crazy racist remarks all of the time but we now have proof that a majority of people are not racist at least in one area. It is still always my mission to help spread love and tolerance instead of prejudice. I believe that it starts with knowing people and backgrounds and cultures. I hope as a nation we can continue to fight prejudice and help people get to know each other and understand each other a little better.
  

Yesterday the Treehouse had a ceremony in their Oval Office to unveil the portrait of our new President. We went as a family and had a grand time. They have an exact replica of the President's desk and the rug that is in the real Oval Office. Yeah, Treehouse.