Fruits from the tree

I am pretty sure that many people are filling their blogs this week with their take on the presidential inauguration. It is a historic occasion. It is King's legacy the day after we celebrate his life officially. Wherever someone falls on the political spectrum, there is no doubt that this Tuesday will be a mark in our minds. I've seen interviews and read articles about people who never thought a black man would/could be elected. Their stories and histories and the fact that most of them are over 50 lay a framework for that understanding. For those of us who learned about King, the civil rights movement, and watched after school specials that taught tolerance, this election and the results are not out of what we expected to happen in our lifetime. It may have come earlier than expected. This is just the beginning of a United States that truly reflects the values that we teach: that everyone can have a chance (if they have adults in their lives that work hard and teach them to work hard), that skin color doesn't really matter (although we aren't there yet), that perseverance and hard work pay off, that encountering people with dignity and treating them with respect is the better way, and... I think every person could lift up something they have learned from this experience and the next 4 years (or more). I've learned to have more hope in the American people and our resilience in the face of difficult times. May we find even more wonderful fruits from the tree of democracy.