The kids don't know what to do with me. Mom, dancing at 8 A.M.? Before her coffee? For freakin' out loud, what is going on? "Oh! Bama, Oh! Bama, he's the new president, the new president," I sing, skipping around Hamish's room this morning. His response? "I'm hungry." Everyone I talk to can't believe the relief they feel, we didn't know how stressed we were until California's polls closed at 11 P.M. last night. I didn't go to bed until 2 A.M. and this morning Stella woke up crying at 7 because she peed in her bed and I couldn't be happier.In the shower, I remember one of my favorite songs from The Wiz, "Can't you! feel a! Brand new day! Can't you! feel a! Brand new day-ay!" Who the hell am I anymore? What happened to the surly reluctant mom I once was, in America's dark age, just yesterday?
I feel the pride of, well, of a mother for our country for the choice we so clearly made. As my friend Danielle wrote on her facebook page, "I am so gay for America right now." I wish I'd said it first. I hope I can communicate the hugeness of this day to Hamish and Stella. The historical landmark it is, how it fills otherwise jaded and cynical grown-ups with the same wonder a child is naturally made of, and maybe, just maybe I can get Hamish to sit and watch Obama's acceptance speech and show him what class and humility and grace and brilliance really look like.
1 comment:
Oh mama! Oh bama! No kidding. It is amazing how much stress there was without even knowing it! How much we (well I) wanted to believe it didn't matter to me so much because the last two elections were so disappointing that I didn't want to put that kind of emotion into this one. But watching the returns last night, I couldn't help but be glued and on edge and giddy everytime another blue state appeared. Finally a candidate with a whole ton of excitement behind him. Fine, he's young and unproven, and he has lots of time to screw up and lots of chances to screw up, too. But he's smart and poised and thoughtful and so damn eloquent and he sure sounds like he means what he says. And he's a president I can look at and think that yes -- this is someone I want the world to look at as representing my country. I'm so thrilled he's been given the chance to screw up. Who knows, he may even continue to be the dynamic force we hope he is and turn some things around. And maybe we'll even drop some of our practiced cynicism and become hopeful again. I'm even thinking of going out to buy a flag, just to be able to proudly hang it on the front of my new, beautifully furnished and decorated house.
luv,
hubama
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