Happiness and Hope

After sitting and reflecting upon the results of the election last night, I feel overwhelmed with hope for our nation. To my close friends, it is no surprise how strong my support for Barack Obama and his beliefs have been. There were times during the campaign that I became nervous and I thought at this point I would feel a sense of relief when Obama won the race but instead it is more of a sense of hope. I was touched at how sincerely he wants to reach across party lines to create the change our nation needs. Here are my favorite parts of his speech from last night:

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other."

"Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."

"And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."

GO OBAMA!!!