How much more inspiration can one ask for, after what happened last night?! To be part of history, to be part of something so powerful and wonderful?! Even after 24 hrs passing, we are still riding and waving our flags high for a true great moment in our American history.
I have to admit, I've never been one for politics. I'm still very much a cynic and a skeptic, have my own beliefs and disbelief's...but I put all of it aside yesterday. All of the negativity was placed on a back burner for the chance of hope. The hope that our voices would be heard loud and clear, for a chance to make a change it this world. And it worked!! What a feeling..to be a part of history, to make a difference....it was just surreal.
Being born in Bolivia and having my hispanic roots does not stop me from being a proud American today. In fact, it makes the victory is that much sweeter. I think about this country, our history. And my history too. My roots. My parents. All that they have fought for and sacrificed...coming to this country not speaking a word of English. GOing to school to learn the language, raising 3 kids and working double jobs, living as minorities in a time when we were REALLY the minorities....I felt the same pride as the thousands of African Americans that were in tears last night. Tears of joy.
For those of you who cannot relate, or who are uneducated in American history..then I don't think words can describe the meaning of what happened yesterday. You would have to go back and live through the last couple of hundred years. As me and my oldest daughter Kayla were cheering yesterday, I looked in her eyes. And that thought occurred to me. She really doesn't understand the meaning of this historic event. She's only cheering because Mommy is cheering. Much like when we watch the Redskins game together...she doesn't understand one thing about football, but she cheers along side of me because I'm her mom.
So I stopped and started to explain some things to her. I explained to her why we should never take anything for granted..like our freedom and all the nice little luxuries we have that many other people dont. Why we do have the power to make our dreams come true, if you just try your best and keep your head up..keep fighting for what you believe in. You can make it happen. Don't under estimate yourself...she listened to me intently just as she always does.
Today she heard from her grandfather who's black and whom lived through JIm Crow in Texas most of his life and all the hardship he went through because of the color of his skin...all the injustices...and how far we've come since those days of hatred. She talked to her Nanny who is almost 90 yrs old and who lived through the same things and worse...her husband who's real reason for death is still unknown today..whom they found laying a ditch beat up and whom the police declared to be a car accident but rumored around town to have been driving and stopped and attacked by whites and beaten to death...and then thrown in a ditch. Of course we didn't tell her that part...but she understands now why yesterday was so important.
The speech Barack Obama gave last night was so inspirational, and that is what we all need right now. This country is in bad shape. I am living proof. I am sitting here wondering if I'll be able to afford the internet next month, cable...so I can make a mortgage payment. Me and my husband almost split up because the stress of his work (working on commission and not getting paid)...the gas, bills, the food, going up and wages down. Thinking of selling what we have to make ends meet.....the people that I see on a daily basis at work who have lost their homes due to foreclosure...their dreams, they spirits wasted, their pockets empty..forgotten by a greedy government.
Those are the people, including me...that I stood in line for yesterday. Our voices have been heard, now what? What's next? Hopefully our new leader will be able to tell us where to go from here, what do we do now? Meanwhile, we keep hanging on to hope....for some, that is all we have left.
