Day of Hope

I have just realized how inappropriate it is to begin a blog entry, "Words cannot express..." You might as well just stop right there, if that's the case.

So here we go. I struggled to find the words to express the joy that was burning in my heart all day yesterday.

We planned to host my dear gf and her family: husband and 2 daughers adopted from China. GF and her lawyer hubby home-school the girls. He owns his own firm, so he takes all day off on Thursdays and does the science circuit with them and some math; GF does social studies, English, Latin, culture, and the other half of the math.

They do not own a TV; gf says she observed her family's dysfunction go unnoticed because of the TV. Things would be just unbearable and her mother would say, "Oh, it's time for Dick Van Dyke," and nothing ever changed. I daresay our family suffered from that, too, only I was not smart enough to identify it until she said it just a month or so ago.

So in light of the Big Occasion, we invited them here to enjoy some conviviality and television.

As it turns out, the photo shoot for next Wednesday's food page was Monday, so we had a fridge full of real food: homemade clam chowder (thank you for your help, DS2; I did not realize when you made it for us that it costs a frigging fortune to make. You are sososo generous.), copycat Red Lobster cheese biscuits, and another choice of entree, BBQ Pork Sammies. I cautioned everyone NOT to partake of both entrees; guaranteed tummyache. But, they had options, and it was nice not to have to scurry around and really cook during the pre-festivities; all I had to do was warm it up.

Alas, the day dawned and gf had the flu. But her hubby came and the girls. Little Bit spent the night with us and I was so thankful we had a micron of snow on the ground so we were able to share The Moment with the girls rather than lose them to the Public School System.

Didn't you love it all? The song, the beautiful music, the poem that just painted pictures in your mind, both prayers, and the speech. The youthful buoyancy in Obama's step. The gravitas in his face. The beautiful daughters and the lovely First Lady. I loved it all. Nothing disappointed me, and I am so thankful I was allowed to share it with the people I love the most. Even DH did not have to work, wonder of wonders, and I was filled with gratitude and love and joy and, yes, HOPE.

I looked around the room as he spoke, at all the rapt faces. Even little Lucy, 5 years old, sat still as a statue, fascinated by his words. Little Bit and Little One cuddled up and watched, no one interrupting with questions or observations. I was amazed to notice that among the 7 of us, we had quite the diverse crowd ourselves: white, African-American, Jewish heritage, and Asian. Yet we all sat in silence and absorbed the historic day.

Obama empowers us by saying we have to do our part, and I believe we will work hard to help. Americans have always done this when asked. It helps to feel you can do something about a miserable situation.

He will have missteps. We need to realize this now, so that when he does, no one goes, "AHA! He's not perfect after all!" We know at the outset that no one is perfect. But I already love it that he unites us by course of purpose and we have to help in the undoing of the recent missteps.

I missed the parade as I had to get dressed up to go to another event. But the total day was one I'll never forget.

I am so thankful for this moment.