It is an Inaugural kind of day!!!

Today we inaugurated our 44Th President, but also stepped into history as he, Barack Obama, is the first African-American to hold this office. As I watched this historic event, I began thinking of what this means for our country. I had chills and many many tears. Tears for what this means to many African-Americans, knowing what they must feel, knowing what those who lived thru a time when they couldn't even drink from certain water fountains, ride the bus or be served a sandwich in a cafeteria, must feel, but also to what it means to me as a mother trying to raise her children to have no hatred in their hearts for anyone, trying to teach them that we are all equal in a world where many are still trying to put up barriers. I grew up in the South, grew up with a father who although has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone no matter their race, still had a hint of racism in his heart. I also grew up in Clinton, Tennessee the location of its own historic event, when we took a handful of young black students and integrated them into our local high school. This in itself set off a series of events that ended in our high school being bombed. You see, we were the first high school in that area to be desegregated. Sometime when you have a chance, google, Clinton Senior High School, Clinton, TN and see what we were about then. This is not something I am proud of. I had racism all around me growing up, and today watching the coverage of this event, I knew that this was turning point for us all, that this meant as much to me, a white, 43 year old, middle class wife and mom. I can hold my head a little higher, feel a little safer, feel a little more hopeful about the future of this nation and feel that this nation will be a little stronger for my kids. I am proud to have Barack Obama as my president and I am proud to say as an American, my President is an African American, but most of all, he is a strong American, and he will make much needed changes in our nation. So today, in honor of President Obama, I am inaugurating my blog. Here's to you Mr. President, I am honored to have you lead this country.