Pre-Inag Thoughts

This inauguration is emotional for me, as an “American” mother of two boys and the wife of someone who was born in India. I feel so lucky that my husband and I could grow-up on opposite sides of the world and yet find one another. Even with walking on a cultural tight rope with his family, love transcended all barriers. We had a strong sense of hope in one another, just as we have hope in President-Elect Obama’s administration; Better things are ahead.
This inauguration means much to us on varying personal levels by definition family. It’s beyond looking into the eyes of our 3-year old, Nishad Isaiah, and full heartedly telling him that he can be whatever he so desires if he has dedication, education, passion and perseverance. It’s beyond looking into the eyes of our 1-year old Arun Nicholas, and telling him that no one can ever tell him that he can’t do something because of his ethnicity or the color of his skin. By the time our boys are old enough to really comprehend things, they will have grown-up in a free, global society, never knowing anything different other than we as a society, as a country, judging a person not by the color of his skin, but the character in which he or she carries. President-Elect Obama has made our jobs as teacher, as parents, so much easier.
This inauguration means so much to me as a citizen of the United States. For far too long, the powers that be have openly abused their power of office and imposed, in my opinion, something bearing characteristics of an imperial government upon its people. I have no doubt that President-Elect Obama will once again give weight to our Constitution and allow it to pave the path for our nation’s restoration. Under President Obama’s leadership, I have faith that he will take the necessary measures to allow us as a nation to persevere, to rise up and to once again be proud of who we are and where we are going. We the people have been left in the shadows far too long.
This past election also restored something in me that I haven’t felt in quite some time. It’s not that I wasn’t patriotic or proud of my country…but something definitely lacked in my heart in regard to my country. I think it was a confidence in regard to the land in which I love. This election has restored my confidence not only in my country, but more importantly in my fellow citizens.
No longer can we think of America being a separate entity. Our current economic situation has brought that topic to light. It truly is a small world. It isn’t how we became connected- it’s ‘that’ we are connected. For the sake of our future, the next generation and beyond, it was vital for our nations life line to act. We did. Though this may only be the beginning of a long road ahead of us, we the people, are not sitting on the side lines anymore; We are back in the game.
For far too long this nations politics have been ‘business as usual.” President Elect Obama has changed that face of politics forever. He consistently rose above and in turn, by example, we as a nation rose above. Someday, our children and their children will look back and reflect upon this time, this era. I am both excited and proud to be a part of a momentum that sets our nation on course for a better, more hopeful tomorrow. It is for these thoughts, and many more that my heart has composed, that I voted for President-elect Obama, and why this inauguration day means so much to me. It’s more than a history lesson, or a symbol, for us at the Kumar household, it’s the beginning of a new chapter for our family and this nation.