What President Obama means to me...

...it means that my children can look to the man who leads the most powerful country in the world and see someone who lookes like them
...it means that the color of my family is The Face of The Country

...that racism might...just might be on it's way out

...that just a few years ago, I wasn't even legally allowed to marry my husband...now I can be married to him..and one day, everyone will be free to marry whomever they love...regardless of sex or color

...that past experiences like these
1. visiting an apartment for rent with my daughter, and liking it and wanting to rent it, and going back with my husband only to have the door slammed in our face and a man yelling "it's been rented!!"

2. going to the grocery store with our 4 young children and loading up the grocery cart..only to have the cashier say "Is this with food stamps?"

3. going out to our car early in the morning and seeing nigger written on it

4. my son coming home and saying, " Her parents won't let her date me cuz I'm too Black"

5. my daughter having her hair pulled as a young girl, to see if it was "real", and having people ask her, "WHAT are you?"

6. seeing my football playing son passed over for a scholarship application because he's not "Black enough"

7. family members refusing to talk to me or even meet my children because of the color of my husband's skin

8. having other family members say "you know, those "White People" but then look at me and say, "Oh I'm not talking about you."

9. being called a nigger-lover or my husband accused of being an Uncle Tom and marrying a "Cracker"

...that all of these experiences were not in vain. That they will be far distant memories that one day we will laugh about.

...that society will finally see that we are all Human Beings, with the same thoughts and feelings and wants and dreams, and should be treated equally

...that I can look my sons in the eye and say "Yes, you CAN be anything you want to be...even President. of the. United States.

...that we finally have someone in office who inspires the people instead of scaring them

...that one day, when I'm old and gray (or grayer!), my grandson can say to me, "Remember MiMi when Obama won the Presidency? And we've had a Hispanic and an Asian and even a GAY president since then?!!"

...that maybe my daughter, the Teacher, will finally be appreciated for what she is doing..molding the young minds and lives of our future leaders

...that my children can marry anyone...whatever color..and no one will think twice about it or say, "Oh, you're marrying a White Guy?" "You only date White girls?" "What's the matter with the Brothers? they aren't good enough for you?"

...it's about being able to hold my head up high and say "I'm PROUD to be an American"

...that I am alive to see history made..that my children are a part of History

...that maybe my grandchildren won't have to worry about society's view of "mixed" kids..that they CAN be smart AND be good at sports...that they CAN get a good job and not live on welfare..that they CAN be married to just one person and not have Baby Mamas all over the place..that they CAN be productive giving members of society who have something to offer

...that they can be PROUD of who they are without fear of condemnation

...that the stories of Black Men being dragged behind trucks and killed will be far far behind us

...that they don't have to be afraid of someone having a noose hanging from a tree in their yard

...that my cousin, who was my Best Friend, and died of AIDS, that he could have married and had a family, just like he wanted

...that maybe one day, I won't have someone ask me, "Why does it always have to be about race?"


...it's about VALIDATION