We Won! Pausing to Reflect

I’m in my living room watching a crowd of tens of thousands of faces in Grant Park, laughing, cheering, crying and rejoicing. I sit here on my couch, bawling. I can’t help it. I’ve always dreamed of living in a country where skin color didn’t dictate one’s choices in life, where equality was more than just a word but a reality. I knew, instinctively, that as a nation we had improved but not perfected race relations. And I wanted more.

I wondered at times these past months, if we had the courage to move past race and vote on issues. I wondered if people would fall for the idiotic emails about terrorists, Muslims and bogus citizenship claims.

It might sound odd, a white woman, saying how important and meaningful it is to see an African American elected as president. I have three boys, of European descent. It means more to me than I can say to be able to point to our president, to show my children his face on the television, and know that for them, a man of color leading and representing our nation is normal. They will grow up thinking it is absolutely normal and natural that America embraces all her children and not just a select race or religion.  Perhaps someday, the color of one’s skin is as inconsequential as hair color and we would no more discuss the African American candidate vs. the White candidate than we would the blonde candidate vs. the redhead or the black haired candidate.

We have many other battles to face. The fight against prejudice and racism is not over but the path to healing and recovery lies before us, plain, visible to the eyes. We have other issues, the ability to accept other people’s religious choices, sexual orientation. Those are battles still to be fought.

But tonight – tonight I can rejoice with my fellow Americans. And know that a new day has dawned. One full of hope and possibilities.