It's a Federal Holiday. In the DC area those of us who work in the federal government always get this day off to alleviate traffic problems, and today is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day--so sort of a double federal holiday for me. Both this Inauguration Day and MLK Day inspire me as a person who values faith, compassion, service and justice. And to be honest, days off from work (especially when they result in nice long weekends) are also always very welcome.
Yesterday the boys and I happened to be with neighbors in at a coffee shop when the actual swearing in took place and saw it on TV. I'd sort of forgotten that by law the swearing in had to happen on January 20th which this year was a Sunday. We've got plans to watch the ceremonial swearing in and parade on television today (Monday 1/21) with our same neighbors, but I have to say, sort of accidentally catching the "private" ceremony yesterday put me in an excellent mood. I am a strong supporter of this president, and in all honesty, the very thought that we could have been swearing in a President Willard Romney instead, has left me feeling very very grateful.
Several months ago when President Obama shared that he'd thought long and hard about gay marriage and decided that supporting it was the right thing to do, I don't know if he realized how powerful that move was for those of us who are gay and those who love us. I think a lot about how there will come a time in our sons' lives when they will be teased for having two moms or possibly have a hard time dealing with the fact that our family is not like most other families. And it gives me such joy to know that when that time comes, we can show them exactly what the leader of the free world thinks about families like ours. That is golden!
And universal health care? Complain all you want, but I am in awe of the fact that this President has tackled such a critical issue and as a result, those who most need help and can least afford to pay have hope. For goodness sakes, for virtually all of us now preventative medical care is now available at no cost to consumers! How is that foolish or wrong?
So for me today is a day to celebrate the victory of thoughtfulness over, well I don't even know how to describe it--the victory of caring about others first vs. caring first (and often only) about oneself. At least that is my perception of the differences between our two major political parties at this time--albeit in a generalized nutshell.
I look forward to the next four years, and to a bright future for all! -Monica
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| Our own audacity of hope! |
