In between jobs

Rylee's birthday party is this weekend and I'm frantically getting things together. Frantically baking and baking and baking, trying to clean in between all of the baking, running to the store two to three times a day and trying to get my little birthday girl well again. She has a sinus/ear infection. Her fever got close to 103 at times and she's just been feeling yucky all together. She saw the doctor and is on antibiotics, so I'm sure she'll be fine by Saturday.

In the midst of all of this craziness that is my life, something really wonderful happened to this country.

I'm in between cakes right now, so I thought I'd jot down my thoughts.

I watched election coverage from the moment I got home from MDO on Tuesday (we had to leave early because Rylee had a fever) and could not keep my eyes off of the tv.

In between soothing and holding Rylee, baking 10 cakes and close to 100 cookies, I watched and waited.

I kept my laptop close to me as the night went on, specifically so I could chat about the happenings with Jess (and Amber too).

Right around 10pm, 10 minutes after my very, very hot child fell asleep on me and I carried her into her bed...I came back into the kitchen to pop some popcorn. I heard Rylee start to cry, "mommy." I turned to look at the tv to see what was happening with the local election coverage when I saw a picture of Barack Obama pop up on the screen. To the right of his picture read, "Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States." I looked at Rodney and gasped. I pointed and rubbed my eyes a little bit. We smiled and hugged one another and then both started jumping up and down in disbelief. Rylee was still crying. The screen changed to a shot of the crowd at Grant Park in Chicago, tears started rolling down my face. I couldn't stop the tears, they continued as I sat on the couch. Rodney went to check on Rylee and came back in.

We were both very quiet until my husband who is usually funny and sarcastic in these moments, said two things that stuck with me.

"You'll never forget where you were at this moment. This is like our moon landing. You will always remember that you were at home when the first black president was elected in the United States. Both Mommy and Rylee were crying."

he also said this:

"You know what's really great about this? We have never known a black president. This is historic for us and radically different from anything we have grown up with or known in our lifetimes. Rylee will grow up thinking this is normal. This will not be weird for her, it will be normal."

I cannot stress enough how proud I am at this moment to live in this country. It's been a long time since I have felt like there were people fighting for me, the middle class. It's been a long time since I have had faith in this country. It's been a long, long time.

This election gives me hope. It gives me hope that we can come together and overcome the peril we have been facing.

I don't see color when I see our new President, I see hope. I see someone who is eloquent, hard working, family oriented, who fights for people who don't get fought for. I see someone who believes that all men and women are created equally. I see someone who is determined to make a difference.

I've been pretty quiet around people who make assumptions and believe that I feel exactly as they do - but you know what? It's time to come together. It's time for us all to stop the name calling, the finger pointing, the accusing, it's time to cross party lines and get behind our new leader. The leader that was overwhelmingly elected in this country by it's people.

You may not have voted for him but it's time to support him. We live in America for a reason. Our country was founded on the basis of freedom of choice and the choice has been made. It's time to look forward, it's time to move forward.

Be proud to live in this country, be proud of the history that was just made here. Know that this is a huge step forward for our country. Know that this is what happens when you live in a democratic nation, be accepting. Be supportive.

I prayed and my prayers were answered.