I Have a Dream... or a few

I didn't know what to write yesterday. I was overwhelmed. With emotion. With pride. With hope.

I woke up and thought, little kids in Harlem (for that matter anywhere - but I was looking at pictures of Harlem on CNN) will NEVER have to live with the same thinking that the teenagers in that neighborhood have lived with. They will never know the question of if we'll ever see a black man in office... I LOVE THAT. I cannot believe it, it gives my heart this sense of ebullience. In a moment the world was changed. In a moment, in a vote, an entire generation was set free from centuries of oppressive thinking.

I didn't know what to think the whole day. I just kept feeling the excitement of the world. I don't think that Obama is magic. I don't think he is going to save the world. I think he is going to put democracy back in the hands of the people... and people are messy. But look at all the people. The entire world was abuzz with excitement, and one man's election stirred that kind of excitement.

I know that the bible says that the government rests on God's shoulders, I work for God. I know these things... But George Bush was God's man wasn't he? And I think Obama is too. And I pray that he rests on Gods shoulders, we all need giants shoulder's to stand on.

I sat with hope as CNN panned the crowd on the Washington monument that people's hearts would be ignited with an excitement for participation in the democracy that we have so generously been given. I wept as Larry King showed and interview with a beautiful little black girl with my energy and passion for words who was at the Washington Monument with her grandfather who she proudly introduced... He wept as he shared that he had been there for Dr. Kings March on Washington and he couldn't believe he had lived to see this day. I wept with him. I was so humbled by how much I don't understand how he must feel and how thankful I am that his granddaughter will never have to.

Then I started thinking of dreams that I am afraid I'll never live to see the fruition of, but that I will dream no less, because what do we have but our dreams to reach for?

I dream of a world where no child will go to bed hungry when there is plenty...
I dream of a world where we would no longer justify our moral passivity toward genocide by the complexity of the political situations that propel it...
I dream of a world where every family would experience and equal opportunity to health care, no matter their socio-economic status...
I dream of living in a world where women and men receive equal pay for equal work...
I dream of a world where mentally and physically impaired children are treated as treasures and not outcasts...
I dream of a world where countries are free politically and spiritually and the oppression of women and children is intolerable...
I dream of a world where we are patient with each other and with ourselves and where we don't demonize failure but celebrate the courage to take risks...
I dream of a world where we promise every little heart that is entrusted to us that it is worth believing that they can and change the world - starting with the person next to them...

I had two people in my life, who have fought for me amongst a cynical mass, for my little heart to believe that it is worth dreaming that I could be a part of changing the world. I was so proud to be theirs yesterday. I was overjoyed that they got to see this day. I was thrilled for them that these 8 years of personal hell for them was over... I know they are thrilled to have a non-titled W back in Texas clearing brush on his ranch with no executive rights to any large white homes or circular offices.

I am proud to work for God. I am proud to be a white, evangelical Christian who supports Barack Obama - even if I don't agree with all of his policies - believe me, he and every one of my representatives know what my stands are on those key issues. As they did in the last administration, the difference is that in this administration I trust that the man in office knows that it says by the people and for the people... And when I write my letters now, I actually believe that my voice is being heard.

I am so thankful. I am reminded that we lose nothing in dreaming big, and in moments like this, I am reminded that we should heed the caution that our dreams not be too small.

Yes we can.