Tuesday, January 20, 2009

the Fierceness of NOW.

"the Fierceness of NOW." those are some of the words being used to describe what was just seen as history as President-Elect Barack Obama took the helm of America while looking over the sea of humanity from the inaugural platform. He describes our America as being amidst gathering clouds and storms, but as people we must remain faithful to the founding documents.

I love that, because I love words, and if we could be more true to the documents that founded our great nation, amidst the storms of the past, if we could remember that we have made history of worse times than we face now, if we could be true and faithful, we will prevail. And we will prevail a much stronger, much more compassionate, much more happy nation. Because we are in charge of our own happiness, because it is up to us to achieve it.

He talked today about the friend that we are to so many nations, and the friend we must become to all nations. "Our founding fathers faced with peril troubles we can scarcely imagine," loosely quoted. "Our power grows through prudent use." Anyone who parents knows this truth.

"Our patchwork heritage is our strength"...and like a "parents willingness to nurture a child...nothing is so satisfying as giving our all to a difficult task."

He talks about our America as being amidst a crisis, a nation at war, with a weakened economy. That we must make hard choices. That in the very way we use energy today we are strengthening our enemies. There is a nagging fear that the next generation must lower their sites. He says, "the challenges are real....but they will be met. On this day we choose hope over fear...unity over dissension."

Two prayers opened and closed the inaugeral address, "May we have wisdom to work for a prosperous nation and peaceful planet, ...responsibility in our actions and humility in our approach." and,

"What if the mightiest word is LOVE."

What if...

A poet recited. "Each day we go about our business..all about us is noise..and bramble...and thorns...each one of our ancestors is on our tongue...we are repairing the things in need of repair...we walk into that which we can not see...many have died to make today...the figuring it out at the dinner table...do no harm...take no more...and yes, What if the mightiest word is love?"

"Lord, thou keep us in the path, ...may we forever stand true to thee."

It was an inaugural address that I am proud to know my kids will never forget, and always remember....and not because Barack is black, but because he said "Yes, we CAN", because there is possibility of unity, because they feel the responsibility of their future is true to their own desire of their heart, their dreams can come true, and all and only because they are willing to work for what they have.

Nothing is given, but that which is worked hard for is earned.

4 comments:

Heatherlyn said...

It would be more likely that our leaders would be true to the "founding documents" if they studied them, perhaps if we all as a nation, as individuals within the nation, studied them. And do not misconstrue the intention of the founding documents, removing their context.

Each presidency has the power to make changes and impact lives for better and worse. I'm always hopeful that it will be for the better . . ..

Erin said...

Yes we can!

Thank you for this message.

Kathy P said...

Beautifully written! It is such a historical day

LeShel said...

Beautifully written. I do hope that his words are true and that he will protect our world. I didn't vote Obama but I will respect him as the President and pray that he will do what he says.

on marriage

'Will you, um, marry me?' I haven't seen you in weeks! You don't look happy or excited about the prospect of our marriage! You're asking me to give up my - my freedom, my joie de vivre for an institution that fails as often as it succeeds? And why should I marry you anyway? I mean, why do you wanna marry me? Besides some bourgeois desire to fulfill an ideal that society embeds in us from an early age to promote a consumer capitalist agenda?
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