President Obama

I hadn't expected I'd choke up and start crying when the poll worker handed me my ballot this morning.

Yet the tears came as an elderly black woman handed me that ballot, smiling widely as she did. She gently pointed me in the direction of the voting booth.

I waited in line two hours to get that ballot and, in my entire life, I have never been so excited to vote.

And now, I have been crying since a few minutes before 8 pm when I saw that Virginia was getting called for Obama. I am beyond... words. The tears just keep flowing.

My kids? They've been jumping around screaming and yelling out the window, "Barack Obama is the President!!!"

We just toasted with our sparkling apple cider to President Obama. Now I'm going to watch him give his first speech from the city that is so close to my heart at all times. I love you Chicago, and I cannot tell you how much I love this country.

Comments

leila said…
so, so happy too. your post has brought me to tears. thus far this evening i was stuck in wonderment, but now i'm crying too. what a historic moment we're living in.
thailandchani said…
Isn't it amazing? Even my hardened dissident self shed a few tears. :)


~*
Jennifer said…
Liz, when the polls closed in California and Barack Obama was called as our next President, my tears started flowing. His speech made me cry more. This is a night to remember, and I have never been more proud to be an American!
Shiona said…
I was so glad to see so many states had turned blue. Seeing so many men cry on television made me cry as well. This is ushering a great new era in our country. I would so loe to be in Chicago right now, that backdrop of the city against Grant Park was amazing!
Unknown said…
Liz,
thought of you first, you were behind him since day 1, Congrats to you, us and the world!

I am most happy for our boys :0)

Yes THEY can!
Mes Deux Cents said…
Liz,

Barack Obama's win has me re-thinking my cynicism about this country. I am truly amazed and in shock.
Jessalyn said…
Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

Woohoo!!!!!!!!! An amazing moment in American history! I, too, am crying tears of joy.
Tafari said…
Look at those headlines!!!
Tafari
Lisa Johnson said…
What a night! G and I toasted with sparking apple cider too! We were both crying and feeling like we have real hope again for our country. We are feeling real pride as Americans.
I am thrilled beyond belief! All day I have felt so very joyful because I believe that Barack Obama was sent to us by the gods to guide our country and the world into an era of peace, love and equality that we have never known.

Today it feels really good to be an American.
Anonymous said…
Astonishing! Obama not only made it but by a staggering majority. So many people had confidence in him and believed he would make a real difference to their lives.
Jen said…
Unreal - and so MANY firsts - including the popular AND electoral votes. 349 and counting.

I'm still in fabulous, glorious, deliriously happy shock and awe and filled with rainbows.

A President we can ALL be proud of and the first step towards healing this damaged country of ours.
Anonymous said…
My mother has been working as a volunteer to get newly registered voters to the polls. She drove an elderly man, who said he had registered for the first time so that he could vote for "Mr. Obama." That made me cry.

I'm so reliwved and happy today I feel like crying again.
West said…
It's a powerful thing.
Sundry said…
So, so happy that this was not only a win but a landslide. What a beautiful day. We were watching Daily Show coverage when Jon Stewart announced that Barack had won...we gasped and changed channels to make sure. Tears here, too. I loved seeing all the reporters feeling emotional and telling the stories of their parents and their efforts to one day make this happen.
Sundry said…
Ooh! Ooh! And my home state, Indiana, went BLUE! I am so excited! My niece was a deputy precinct captain in Elkhart County, and she helped make this happen!
Anonymous said…
Historic - euphoric - astounding - amazing - thrilling....
Mamita Umita said…
It was amazing - and you were there with us. I am so proud and I love this Chi-city!
David Sullivan said…
I am so happy and so proud to be an American this morning!
Liz Dwyer said…
Leila,
It is AMAZING! I'm still getting teary eyed.

Chani,
I would hardly call you a hardened dissident. You have one of the warmest hearts of anyone! Whoo hoo!

Jennifer,
Yes, when California closed and it got called... I knew it was going to happen but to hear it said on the news... it just was a once in a lifetime moment! So many injustices in this country's history but when we get it right, we get it right!

Shiona,
Seeing those tears roll down Jesse Jackson's face was something! So emotional.

House,
SO happy! I remember coming home from LA a few years ago and seeing Obama signs in people's yards when he was first running for the Senate and being like, "Who the heck is this dude?" And now, the whole world knows who "this dude" is!

I am so happy for my sons. So very happy.

Mes,
Me too and when I dropped off my boys at school, a parent I didn't even know hugged me and said, "Congratulations!" WOW!

Jessalyn,
I am crying replying to y'alls comments! Amazing!

Tafari,
I'm about to go to the newsstand and get some more! Love you, brotha!

NYC/CR,
Sure did! Sure did!

Anali,
Yeah, we drank three bottles of that sparkling cider. Those kids started toasting, "To Sasha, my future wife!" LOL!

Heart,
It feels SO good. I wish I could give you a hug! I really do.

Nick
Yes, what an amazing mandate given to him by America! And I think he can get those who did not vote for him on board because he is, at his core, a unifier.

Jen,
It's such a wonderful feeling. What an amazing time in our nation's history. I'm so happy!

Citizen,
I'm crying again replying to yur comments. And I love your mother. Everyone's efforts no matter how small made such a difference. It's so nice to see so many people getting out to vote.

West,
It really is a powerful thing! I feel like this decade has seen such tragedy and now, finally, something to turn the corner.

Sundry,
I stayed awake till they called Indiana! Stronghold of the Klan no more, right! :) All my peeps in South Bend are SO happy!

Pooneh,
And I am SO grateful. So very grateful.

Mamita,
I wish I could've been there! I hope you took lots of pictures! Love you, Sonia!

David,
I am too. I'm happy to be alive and now I'm about to go out and get a chai latte and eat some arugula salad to celebrate!!!
Ian Lidster said…
Oh hell, I misted up during his speeach and I'm not even a citizen. It's all quite amazing and I am so happy for you, but also happy for the rest of us.
I waited 2 hours to vote with my mom, my sister and one of my daughters and I was fine.

I then waited another 40 minutes for a bus to NYC to go to work and I was fine.

I got on the A Train headed uptown and an elderly black man got on the train and started to sing Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" and the tears just started streaming down my face...the enormity of what I had just participated in overwhelmed me. I cried the rest of the way to work!

Last night when they announced he won...I screamed, I cried and I screamed some more...it was just AMAZING!!!!
Dena said…
i'm still elated and definitely will be for quite some time. i am so glad i got a chance to talk to you and e-lo last night! love you guys!!
LISA VAZQUEZ said…
Hi there...

Here we go!!

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
- Toot's grandson
- Michelle's hubby
- Sasha and Malia's daddy
- OUR PRESIDENT, the gap man

Yesss...in our lifetime.
Allison Miranda said…
My eyes are still welling up with tears almost 24 hours later! But even though watching the coverage makes me want to cry (again), I just can't stop watching/listening to it.

When I read on the screen that President Obama had won, the tears started rolling, and I was speechless (those that know me, know that's odd for me LOL). I am so thankful to have witnessed this great moment, and glad that our elders from the Civil Rights Movement got to witness it in their lifetimes.

What dampens my mood is when some of my White friends say "they're terrified for the future of this country." WTH?! President Obama couldn't do any worse than George Bush has! I wonder if they just think that a Black person can't run the country successfully. See, I TRY to leave race out of it, but look what they make me say!

Anyway, Congratulations President Obama!
Jameil said…
LOVED IT!!!!! And twitter was a g for both of us last night! i'm still holding back tears as i'm reading all the blogs.
Liz Dwyer said…
Ian,
All the footage of folks celebrating all around the world has been so beautiful to see. Let's keep that world unity going!

Carolyn,
That would've made me cry too. Wow, change has DEFINITELY come!

Dena,
I've decided I need some valium so I can calm down and stop crying at the drop of a dime! So nice to talk to you too! We were both so happy you called!

Black Women Blow...
Indeed, he is all those things and more. Really something, isn't it?

Randi,
I am with you on the crying. I put a bag of peas over my eyes and I still look like a hot, puffy mess! Don't even let fools who are questioning his abilities stress you. He's not going to be perfect but goodness, the man knew how to run this campaign for the past two years. He did what no one truly believed could be done. He's being called one of the most brilliant political minds in history... I think he'll do just fine.

Jameil,
SO happy! Hugs! The tears are so much for what has happened but also for the memory of those who have come before, and the fact that a fire has been lit under folks to take action and make it happen. Simply beautiful!
Felicity said…
What was nice to see, how everyone celebrated Barack winning, around the world.
Liz Dwyer said…
Felicity,
It felt like such a great moment of world unity! Really marvelous!

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