Proud to be an American today

Today is a historical day. A momentous day. A day that I am proud to be an American.

I have two confessions to make:

1. I voted for McCain.
2. I secretly hoped Obama would win.

Okay, now that I've shocked EVERYBODY, let me explain.

I usually avoid talking politics. That whole non-confrontational thing. My husband and I have a very interesting situation come election times. I was raised by conservative Republicans. He was raised by fairly liberal Democrats. The two of us meet somewhere in the middle - liberal Republicans, or conservative Democrats - Moderates, if you will (though we seem to be a dying breed.) However, we agreed, that so as not to cancel out each other's votes, but present a united front - we would decide together who we would vote for during a Presidential election.

We have had many, MANY discussions over the past year or so - issues, platforms, voting records, the whole nine yards. Neither candidate completely satisfied our consciences. But we refused to throw away our votes - we wanted to cast them for one of the candidates who could actually win.

We didn't agree with the Democrats, morally. We didn't agree with how the Republicans have run the country, practically. We didn't like Obama's inexperience. We didn't like McCain's temper. We wondered why the Republican party insisted on coming up with an "old white man " candidate.....again. We wondered if Obama would flub up foreign policy. We wondered if it was wise to have a man who'd undergone torture to have his finger on the red button.

Over, and over, and over we hashed it out.

Last night I watched the election results in utter fascination. It was like watching a giant, historical chess game being played out. And when the official announcement was made.... I got chills down my spine. This was history being made, before my eyes.

As big (or bigger) than when Americans got to watch the moon landing. Which since I was a baby at the time, is really only a history lesson for me.

There were a lot of things about this election that I liked. I liked that both candidates were rather more gracious than candidates have been in the past. I liked that Obama was humble winner. I liked that McCain was a gracious loser. I loved seeing my country gather up enthusiasm for the voting process itself. The apathy which has held many in it's grip has concerned me a lot.

And so now, once again, America has made history. The sacrifices, prayers, and tears of so many before us, both famous and unknown, have made this possible. I like this story. It is, if nothing else, a quintessentially American story. You'd be hard pressed to write a story this good. Truth is stranger than fiction. The underdog comes from behind and wins the day. There's something very satisfying about that, if you're an American. Our country was founded by the underdogs with a dream.

I want to believe in this story. I like this junior Senator from Illinois with his charisma and charm, his political savvy and speaking skills. I want to believe that he can deliver on his promises. I want to believe in the hope that he engenders, for our nation, for our future. I want to believe that he can re-unite our fractured country, help us to pull ourselves back up by our bootstraps, and restore our reputation among the nations of the world.

Some said they were surprised he seemed so sober in his acceptance speech. I think it speaks well of him. He knows that not just a nation, but the world, will be watching his every move. A heavy burden for one man to bear. I pray God grants him wisdom. I pray our nation grants him patience.

For though as a Christian, I know this nation is not my final home, I pray our new President can lead us into making it a better place to live in the meantime - a nation again with liberty and justice for all.