I think I am actually an adult now ...

{Shhhh, blogging from work, don't tell.}

I think I am finally an adult, I figured this out last night when I was wishing we still had cable, not so I could watch MTV (lol), but so I could watch MSNBC. And today, all day, MSNBC.com has been playing on my computer. And this morning my eyes were welled up with tears and I was explaining to Mylie about how we have a new president today. And I realized that in her lifetime, though undoubtedly there will still be racism, there won't really be a doubt that everyone in America has amazing opportunities. Never in her life will she hear someone say that an African American will never become president. My kid's lives are starting out with that ceiling shattered ... and literally, it brings me to tears. Last night, on Nightline, they were talking about a businessman who spent $2 million to bring people to the inauguration who would not have been able to attend otherwise. One such person was a 100 year old black man. He was sobbing, and could barely answer the question in the interview {which in turn led to my tears}. Think about what he has seen in his lifetime and what he never thought he would see. America is an amazing place.

Someday my kids and grand kids will read in history books about when America elected its first black president. I can tell them I was there, that I voted for him. I can tell them I watched it as he was sworn in and I took a picture of it on my computer screen. I can tell them that it was during his acceptance speech that I knew that I wanted to continue in a life of public service, maybe even hold a public office someday. It was listening to now-President Obama's "call to service" that made me want to get my young children involved in service within their communities right now, to do all we can to make the country a better place, not just look to and expect our elected officials to do it.

I am very proud to be an American today. This is an amazing country full of such deep and rich history. In fact, I'd forgotten how much I love to learn about history. Listening to Tom Brokaw spout off random facts all afternoon reminded me of that. I know that we live in a blessed nation. I know that the founding fathers of this country were inspired by God, that our constitution was inspired. I know that I am blessed to live here and to raise my children here. Regardless of all the scary things going on in the world right now, we are so blessed to live in the United States of America and to have all the freedoms that we do.

{OK, back to work.}