Inauguration Day

Oh, happy day.

Jasper is too young to remember today, but I do hope that it's a day he certainly knows about. He's sitting in his bouncy toy while I'm watching Barack Obama's inauguration on TV. It makes me think about what I knew or thought of presidents when I was young.

I remember being in the living room as President Reagan gave a State of the Union address. I was bored and my dad was glued to the TV, asking me to be quiet, I'd guess. I also remember going with my parents to vote. We waited in a very long line for what seemed to be a very long time. I can't quite place how old I was, but it was either Reagan's second run or the elder Bush's first. I knew very little about politics except I knew my family was Republican. I had no idea what that meant, and aside from election day hubbub, I have very little recollection of politics even as a topic of conversation.

Seth and I have a lithograph of Obama on the wall of our den. It makes me wonder what Jasper may remember about presidents and politics from his childhood. I hope he knows that he was born on the cusp of a monumental era in American history. And I hope he'll know that not because we discuss it over flash cards or memory games. I hope he'll know it because it will remain a big deal. Because from today forward, no matter the political landscape, we will have respect for what's happening today. And most importantly, I hope that in our future, a person of color or a woman running for president of our country or the local bank wouldn't be the exception but the rule.

Who knows what the Obama era will bring. In this time of war, a crushing economy and constant reminders that if America is to remain a world leader we need to change our ways, we need and so desperately want a president to believe in. In this country -- at least in my lifetime -- we've operated on a motto that tomorrow will always be better than today. Whether that comes from truth or mere aspiration, I do hope, for my son, at least a kernel of that holds true.

Let's have a little faith that Obama will help propel this country through the tough times. And just like life, we can't expect radical change all at once. But as we cultivate experience, laugh and cry, we'll learn from our successes and failures. We mustn't settle for the standard; we must expect even more. That's what makes tomorrow better than today.

My grandmother, Mom, has a favorite saying from Winston Churchill: "Never, never, never, never give up." I'm going to keep that quote close to me whether I'm thinking about heavy issues or the daily grind. After listening to Obama's speech, I think that's what he was saying, too. The road ahead will not always be easy, but it is passable. As Obama said, we'll be judged by what we build, not what we destroy.

Today I have a pride for America that I haven't felt before. Maybe it's because I'm now the parent watching the president on TV. Maybe it's because this perfect storm that's been building over us has bred a drive to grasp at optimism. Whatever it is, I'm proud to raise a child in what I hope will be a time of prosperity for people.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, who delivered today's benediction, said it best:

I'm equally certain that we will continue to pray for justice to roll down as waters, and for that day when there will be peace in the valley, and for that day when every man and every woman will sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none will be afraid, and for that day when black will not be asked to get back, brown can stick around, yellow will be mellow, the red man can get ahead, man, and white will embrace what is right! Amen!