a beautiful day

Hello, doves.  Being that 1) I'm knee-deep in final exam week and 2) my body has chosen this of all weeks to get sick, I imagine my posting will be rather light for a bit.  In fact, in about fifteen minutes I suspect I'll be retiring to bed with a book and a cup of tea, however today is such a monumental day that I would feel remiss letting it go by unacknowledged.

So, and between sniffles, here I go acknowledging...

I got a little frustrated yesterday when the woman I team with (who's lovely, but veeery Republican) commandeered my Martin Luther King, Jr. lesson with her own personal commentary on how important Obama's inauguration will be for African Americans, and how even if our students aren't happy with the outcome of the election, then they should at least try to imagine what it must feel like to be a minority watching our new President be sworn in.  Her off-the-cuff remarks left me nonplussed, and since the sea of student faces (mostly from wealthy, Conservative households) sat nodding their affirmation, I just didn't feel comfortable speaking out even if I could have found the words.

But, since this is one of the few places I have where I can speak both freely and publicly, allow me to say what I wished I could have said then:  Today is not just a day for African Americans.  Today is a day for us all.  This may very well be one of the most inclusive Presidents we have ever had, and after watching him be sworn in and listening to his powerful speech, I am uplifted, thrilled and positively swollen with emotion.  Today was historic, and it's a part of history that belongs to all Americans.  

Finally, here's one of my favorite moments from President Obama's inaugural speech, a moment that ties in nicely with my earlier point:

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

So yes - God bless our country, God bless our diversity, and God bless our President.

(And God bless me too. You didn't hear it, but I just sneezed a powerful sneeze.)