Thought of the Day - President OBAMA

The Thought of the Day today is one of tremendous gratitude. Yesterday we all witnessed Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. To be alive for this moment is a great gift and a blessing, one that I accept for all those who did not live to see this moment!

I was lucky to be among the 2 million people that flooded the nation's capital for the chance to be physically present in this moment in history. The journey to get to the national mall was much like our journey as a country to get to this moment. Our journey to witness history began in the darkness of night. It began with early setbacks and delays. There was the smooth ride into to DC from Maryland that ended in controlled chaos once we arrived in the city. It was crowded, people were telling us to go this way or that way, all ways that led to dead ends and roadblocks. Yet we pressed on. Frigid temperatures were tolerable in the beginning, excitement kept us warm. Undeterred by the frustration of walking miles and miles and miles (not kidding, never walked so much in my life), we finally found our place to witness history, a bit north of the Washington Monument, just east of a jumbo screen. This journey was symbolic because it, like President Obama's journey to the White House, was not easy and had so many moments where turning around would have been the easier thing to do. Many many moments where just saying forget it (although we had already gone that far) would have been far easier than hopping over a fence (yes we can and yes we did!), standing so close to strangers that I could no longer feel where my own feet hit the ground, and knowing that our common bond was the one thing keeping ALL of us standing throughout that mall! Yes turning around would have been so much easier, "just go somewhere and watch it on TV, at least you made it to DC.". But for me and the other 2 million people, just giving up that easily would have meant the journey of our new president was all in vain. So on Tuesday morning, I stood in an unspoken unity with 2 million people. We stood in solidarity not just to witness history but to be the biggest cheerleading section at the finish line for our Marathon president! We stood and cheered endlessly as he emerged from the capital building. We all stood, cheered, screamed and welcomed our nation's first black president to his new job with a standing ovation! We screamed hoping that the father, husband, community organizer, senator, president elect and President could feel the joy of his supporters in his spirit. We screamed and cheered hoping that the President could feel the overwhelming sound of a unified THANK YOU, which echoed through the national mall. Thanking him for his bravery in taking on such a task not only on behalf of his wife and children but on behalf of every person in this country and throughout the world who believe in him and the in the power of an inspired spirit. We clapped and screamed and shouted "Thank you Jesus!" as he raised his right hand to take that oath with the souls of his ancestors, our ancestors, hovering over him to protect him from harm. We screamed in joy and praise in hopes that his wonderfully amazing and graceful wife Michelle could hear a unified THANK YOU not only for being the image of poise and dignity that she is in her own right, but for sacrificing her precious husband and sharing him with the world! And as my 20/20 vision strained to see the jumbo screen, we screamed loud as can be so that Malia and Sasha could feel the love and admiration felt for their parents, with the hope that this knowledge will comfort them on days when they have to give up moments with their dad, and private time with their mom, for the sake of the world (what a sacrifice to make).

The two years of supporting Barack and Michelle's journey to this very moment was riveting and gut wrenching. And I must admit that yesterday on the mall, in the midst of extreme joy, I held my breath for a few seconds as he emerged, unsure if the hatred that STILL exist in this country would allow this Black man to take this most sacred oath. I will admit that fear crept in wondering if this nation’s improbable journey with Barack Obama could possibly end that day in that moment. But that fear and anxiety served as a reminder to me that President Obama is not the END of this difficult journey that began 400 years ago on the shores of West Africa, but the midpoint. A milestone, yes, the win, absolutely not! As our President continues to remind us all, there is still more work to be done. And it is my hearts desire to be a part of getting that work done, not just for myself but for future generations, just as many in Selma and Birmingham did for me many years ago. And as we walked three hours for more and more miles to get out of DC after it was all said and done, I realized that leaving the national mall that day, having witnessed history was not the end of that long journey, rather the beginning of a journey so great my heart and soul can only imagine. So today with these words, I do my part to THANK President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and First Daughters, Malia and Sasha for everything they have given us and all they will continue to give in the name of service to this country. And today I pray that we begin, together, in a unified spirit, a new journey towards doing better and being better!

Have a phenomenal day!