A Moment in History......

Wow. What an amazing time this is for our country! Some will see this as a time of hope and happiness, some will be afraid of what may come, but anyway you look at it, this moment will be in the text books someday.

When I went to vote yesterday, I took the girls with me, anticipating that this would happen. I am so glad I did, because I know now it will add to the impact that this election will have on their lives. They were very interested in how it all works, so I used the electronic voting screen so that they could see it all, and at the end, we all three hit the vote symbol together. It seemed to make them feel like they were more a part of it all.

When they woke up this morning, I told them that Barack Obama won the election. They both seemed distraught, "Oh no! What will happen now? What if he won't say the pledge?"

It is amazing how they take in everything we say and the things that the media says, and how passionately they take on the views of their parents. After listening to people rant and rave about Obama for months, they seemed actually worried about the outcome of the election. While I want my kids to understand what Presidential elections mean, and the importance of voting, I do not want my girls to be worried about this.

I tried to explain to them that the President, alone, does not lead this country. I explained that there is a House and a Senate that keep the President in check. And I told them that I'm sure Barack Obama will do his best to make our country proud.

I did not vote for Obama, but I can't help but feel excited about the fact that our country has made such a huge stride during this election. I know that there are still plenty of racist people and I have heard that there are even still active KKK groups, but maybe by having an African American as our president, some of those people will be able to internalize the truth....that all men are created equally.

hrk