Let's Carry This Forward!

I am basking in the joy of new hope that we all felt on Tuesday, Inauguration Day. Many of us have been feeling this since Nov. 4th when Obama won the election. The feelings have swelled and intensified. It feels like our country has come together like never before. It is amazing that close to 2 million people were gathered together in Washington and there were no arrests. That is a miracle!

My brain tells me this feeling won’t last. I remember back to September 11th and how our country came together. It was a different feeling, certainly not one of joy and hope, yet we came together as one. That feeling faded, however, and life went on as usual. Oh, we were never quite the same after that, but we lost that loving feeling.

As I write this, I am watching a pre-inaugural celebration that I somehow missed. It was called We Are One and was a huge celebration that took place at the Lincoln Memorial, I think the day before the Inauguration. There were lots of musicians performing, and the music was so inspiring I stood up and danced with my cat Callie in my living room. This is a feeling I want to hold on to. This is something I want to carry forward into tomorrow and the day after that, and the week after that, and the month after that.

President Obama has said that he cannot do this alone, he needs us. We are being called to take part in our country and in making sure that this hopefulness manifests into reality. I’m sure our president will give us lots of opportunities to get involved. I just emailed him an idea, and am so delighted that he has provided avenues and opportunities for us to be heard and involved.

This is our country. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, or the next day, or what our President does or does not do….even if he disappoints us…I want to keep this feeling of hopefulness and optimism alive. Let’s carry this forward. We can do it. It’s a choice we can make every day. It’s not up to only our President, it’s up to us!