Change

Those who know me well know that I always, always believed that God had his hand on Barack Obama and would lead him to ultimately become the President of our country. But even with the conviction in my heart and soul, it is still incredible. I have never been so elated in all of my days. The people that I see on the street, in the grocery store, and in restaurants are all chattering with excitement and hope like I have never seen before.

It is this hope and excitement that I also see in my son. This is a win for him personally, and it validates him in ways that have not manifested yet. However, in the short term, he can skate as the only African-American on his hockey team a little faster, he can throw his lacrosse ball a little farther, and most importantly he can stand firm in his belief that he is smart, well-spoken, and striving to be a straight A student. My son is a young man who comes from a loving home with two parents, a sister, and a large extended family. However, the validation that will now come from the fact that we have our first African-American President has already helped him to see himself as a stronger more respected human being in the United States of America.

Thank you President Elect Obama and congratulations to you and your family.