opposites.

Eight years ago I awoke at 5:30 am to my husband telling me the "Sweetheart the towers are gone, they say it was a plane" how I got dressed that day or fed Gretta (then only a year old) did anything was a blur. What I do remember vividly was the pain and anguish of watching a mass murder and despair of my home nation unfolding in front of me on a television. I held Gretta tight and wept so much I broke blood vessles in my face.

From that day forward I watched day after day, year after year as my leaders slowly deconstructed our prized integrity and I was powerless to stop it. literally.

Eight years later, If there can be an exact opposite to that day, that emotion, an opposite to that reaction, last night was it. At 5:15pm NZ time on my laptop at the shop it was declared. President Elect Barack Obama was the next president of my "newly" United States of America. I was electrified with joy. I quickly grabbed my keys and purse and locked the shop up. I screamed as I turned to the random person crossing the pavement behind me " He did it! He won!!!"

the man pushing the pram said "who?"

" Obama!!" I said, He said "Really?, COOL! "

then I was off, I was on a mission to find someone to hug. (My appologies to the lovely Indian beautian next door to my shop, she handled it so well) I grabbed her and her sister and bear hugged them, while crying to my sister on the cell phone " It's real, HE did it, He's in!" I ran, RAN to my kids at after school care, I spotted them playing together on the monkey bars, I scream then broke into tears " OBAMA WON" As they jumped up and down and yipped and hugged me like we'd won lottery I realised then in that moment something...

The world and history has shown us that there will be more epic good and bad things to happen during our life and after we are gone. The lesson that I have learnt is to make myself a person of action and/or empathy in such times. To raise my children to proudly speak out. And to CELEBRATE in good times. Because life is hard and when Promise and Hope is restored there is no better feeling. Nothing compares to it!

PS> Sorry to anyone who had to hear OBAMA's acceptance speach replayed on YOU tube in the shop today. I am simply celebrating. Bare with me it will only last 4 years:)

Love to ALL!

Mindy