Proud to be an American

Today as I watch the inauguration of our 44th President Barack Obama, I am filled with the overwhelming sense that more than just a transition in power has taken place, but a transition of thought, ideals, and definition of what it means to be an American. We are no longer divided by the color of our skin, but united by the red, white and blue of our flag. We are not seperated by our cultural, religious, or ethnic backgrounds but brought together as Americans. The dreams of our ancestors, have come to pass. The blood that was shed to create and preserve our freedoms has not been in vain. Every step, word, hope, and prayer that came before has brought us to this extraordinary day, when we see reflected in the face of our new President, that we as Americans truly can acheive ANYTHING. No longer are there excuses or road blocks on the road to our destiny. We are the masters of our fate, and we can be or do anything we put our minds to. The blood stained road we have traveled has led us to a moment where once again we stand head and shoulders above the rest. Our sons and daughters have been ushered into a whole new world, a world that we hoped to provide for them, and one that we have worked hard to create. A world where the promise we make to each of them that no matter who they are, where they came from, the color of their skin, or their cultural, religious or ethnic background, they can be and acheive anything. This is now more than just a beautiful dream but an amazing reality. We can all stand a little taller and hold our heads a little higher because of the sacrifice born on the backs of all that came before and cleared the path that we would stand up today change our history and claim our future. No voice is to small to be heard, no dream out of our reach. All those that gave their lives to make this day possible are surely smiling down as history is made. We will shape and create our own future. The mold has been tossed aside and a free form symbol of freedom has begun to immerge. As history is made upon the podium, it is an island amidst a sea of beauty. The beautifully different faces of my fellow Americans. A sea made up of people who stood up and said not only YES WE CAN, but YES WE WILL. A sea filled with people of every color, age, religion, ethnic, cultural, economic, and social background. First generation, newly immigrated, and founding families. The day we dreamed of, hoped for, and feared might never come is here. We are forced now to dream bigger, hope for more, and let our fears go. A new day has dawned, a new world awaits, and the first steps on a new path have been taken. Freedom has rung and its echoes are being heard around the world. As the storm of our history passes a beautiful rainbow fills the sky as a shining symbol of our nation. Just as we are never able to find the end of a rainbow so is the potential of our nation and its people endless. I heard a quote that I think best sums up the gravity of this day, although I don't know who said it, it has resonated with me; "Rosa sat so Martin could march, Martin marched so Barack could run, Barack ran so our children could fly"

God Bless President Obama, and God Bless America!