. . . . . . . . . . . . The morning after. . . . .

Now that inauguration day has come and gone, the real work begins. But first, I have a message for those of you who were unhappy about the election results and who are feeling angry, skeptical, or critical towards our new administration. I ask that you stop for a moment and think about the message that prevailed throughout this election process. Whether you agree with President Obama's 'politics and policies', can you not agree with the premise of nonpartisanship or if not that, can you agree with the concept of unity, of brotherhood, of the power of love of mankind, of the beauty of diversity, the concept of agreeing to disagree. It is so much easier to smile than to frown, to love than to hate, to compliment rather than criticize, to try to understand rather than judge. It is not a matter of sacrificing your principles, it is a matter of listening to others'. I pray that we can all move toward working together to make our country strong. God Bless America!

Speaking of Gratitude!

I am so very grateful to be alive and able to experience this moment in history as our new President prepares to take office. There are so many dimensions to my gratitude. . . . . . First, after feeling like a child of a parent who believed in "children should be seen and not heard" for eight years, I once again feel as though I belong and that I do have a voice and that my thoughts, hopes and dreams are valid. As a 66 year old, I remember visiting a small southern town in the 60's and having an elderly black woman jump off the sidewalk into the gutter in order to let me, the white woman, pass by. The election of Obama to me is a symbol of the distance we have come with regard to race relations and yet I understand the distance we have yet to go. That said, it is such a pivot point for our country and is palpable. In my little town, I feel the sense of hope, optimism and determination that we will get thru this time of challenge and be a better people for it. I do believe that this feeling of hope and determination is contagious and so I challenge each of us to spread it wherever we can. This is an opportunity that goes beyond the norm and again, I say "Thank you God, that I am alive to see this day!