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Dear Soulmate,

There are some days I just want to stay in bed. Yesterday wasn’t one of them.

I ambitiously confronted the icy sidewalks and brisk January air with a new feeling of hope and optimism that I felt had been lost or misplaced for so long. As America witnessed the transition of power yesterday, there seemed to be an apparent change that buzzed around the city streets and those who walked them.

Regardless of your political background, most people will agree that yesterday was all about change.

But there are some things I noticed that remained the same. As the new President danced with the nation’s First Lady, I realized how beautiful it was to strip away all the politics, all the rehearsed speeches, all the mindfully executed entrances and all the official escorts.

As I watched the news coverage unfold, scene by scene, I observed the intense security, the facial expressions of the countless Secret Service members, the police officers in their neatly pressed uniforms.

But what came to mind in the midst of all of this was that there was no security greater than love.

Seeing the President dance with his wife was by far the most natural and unrehearsed of the entire inaugural parade of events. The freqeunt smiles and laughter they exchanged between one another were candid and genuine.

Watching the President and his wife walk down Pennsylvania Avenue together was equally historic and sincere. Time and time again President Obama would reach for Michelle’s hand and together they would walk proudly, waving to the adoring crowds.

It is obvious when people belong together. They glow with a radiance that is difficult to deny. The new President and First Lady are no exception.

As we march on, some hand in hand, others waving with both, it is important to remember that we could hardly go anywhere so confidently without the security of love. It is love afterall, that leads us so fearlessly to fall into it.

Love, R

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the view from the city upon a hill

Dear Soulmate,

There has never been a more awe-inspiring, wondrous time to be an American than now. Never before in my lifetime has an election drawn as much coverage, attention and people than last night’s spectacle. Anyone watching or participating will agree that last night was more than politics.

There is something to be said for the crowds that poured into Grant Park in Chicago, something to be said for the people who stood outside the White House, cheering and waving the American flag. Never before in my life has American sentiment been so beautifully displayed.

Last night was much more than politics.

As the American flags adorned the stage behind the newly elected 44th president of the United States, waves of patriotism were reignited when each flag unfolded its stars and stripes once more into the winds of change.

Nothing has given me more pride today than unfolding the newspapers, crossing one of Boston’s busier one way streets, switching subway lines, smiling at the woman behind the counter who handed me my coffee, all while being an American.

I feel like standing upon the hill of my own great city, where the American story all began, and declaring, “Look at me, world, here I am.”

The challenges this country will endure in the next few years are vast, the struggles and the difficulties spread far and wide. I am, however, confident in the nation’s ability to meet these obstacles with civility and honor. I am confident in this country to ease partisanship and promote unity, with the grace and wisdom to know the consequences of these differences.

For me, the meaning of last night’s election exceeding my expectations. For a long time I have held great fascination for John Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” speech that led me to pry open history books; recreating America’s story through words from all angles; economic, political, cultural, and moral perspectives.

The history of the United States, I realize, is a romantic story. It starts with the dream, a vision, of a land of freedom, liberty and equality. It starts with the people.

It starts with Paul Revere riding into Lexington, Mass. It starts with John Adams advocating independence in Boston courtrooms. It starts with Benjamin Franklin using newspapers as an agent for change in Boston’s financial district. It starts with the people.

I cannot express how meaningful last night was for me to witness the newly elected president restore in me that feeling of true patriotism that I always felt only belonged in history books; to the heroes of American history in the late 18th century.

Last night was so much more than politics. It was about the people and our fearless story of returning to our founding principles that set us apart:

“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us” – John Winthrop, 1630

Love, R