Hope

The noise of celebration woke Jonah tonight. There is lots noise in my neighborhood, in our building, at a time of night that is usually very quiet. Voices are carrying through the streets. Horns are honking. Music is blaring. Jonah doesn't know that there is cause for celebration. When I went to him in his crib, he seemed scared and confused to be awake at this hour. It took quite a while to calm him down, to reassure him that all is well, to soothe him back to sleep. I have a feeling it may be several hours before things really quiet down around here. The celebrations may wake my baby again before the sun rises over this city. But, Jonah doesn't know that history was made tonight, and may need to be held close, reassured that everything is OK. He doesn't know that tonight begins a time when there is finally, finally real hope for erasing prejudices among people. That we have tangible and overwhelming evidence that the people of this country want things to change for the better. I was moved by Barack Obama's words tonight in a way that I have never before been moved by the words of a politician. As I sat rocking Jonah, I wondered how will I rise to the challenge of service to my country, as we were tonight asked to do. There are many things we can do, but, as Jonah stretched and yawned in my arms, as his breath slowed and deepened into sleep, I realized that I am already doing it. I am mothering a son. And, at the beginning of a new era. He will grow up in a world that has known a black president and seen women run for both president and vice president. But, it is not Barack Obama who will guide Jonah through his young life, ensuring through example that he will have empathy and compassion for other human beings, regardless of race, gender or anything else that we have until now used to separate us from others. I'm sure there are plenty of other ways that I can be of service to America, to our world, but right here, right now, my service is my motherhood. Every day, every minute, every second, to ensure that there is one more gentle, kind, sweet, loving, caring and compassionate man in the world, I am giving it every fiber of my being. ~ Nicole