My Heart Is Full

I have been watching the preamble to the Inauguration streaming live on MSNBC, and I find it hard to find the words to describe how I feel. I'm moved by the faces in the crowd, the joy, the wonder. The ocean of people who have come from such great distances and at such personal sacrifice to stand in the bitter cold and be part of history.

As the pagentry of the arriving dignitaries proceeds, what strikes me is how people who rip each other apart on Sunday talk shows, and on the floor of congress, and during political campaigns could come together and be part of something so much bigger than their petty disagreements.

As someone who volunteered (in my small way) for Obama's campaign, I feel that for every letter I wrote, every email I sent, for every potential vote (I hope) I changed, that I am also part of this.

As someone who doesn't always appreciate the actions of our government, I am awed at how smooth our change of power is. I am awed that the system works. When other countries change leaders through war and through military coup and through assassination, we simply have two men (and one day, hopefully, a woman) having coffee in the Blue Room, and then one quietly moves out while the new leader moves in.

Whatever you think of our democracy, at the very nut of it, it works. It works.

And tomorrow morning, our first African-American president will go to work. He has a cool exterior, but I wonder if somewhere, on the inside, he's quietly freaking out at the daunting task that lays before him.

I know I would be.

I wish him all the best. I wish him strength, and peace, and the good counsel of his advisors.

And, in my own way, I'm praying for all of us.

Now I'm going to go watch our 44th president be sworn in and give us his first official words as the "leader of the free world" on the big TV.

Have a great day.