I believe in the future

I believe that the world we live in is flawed. There are so many things wrong with our country, our world, the lives we lead every day. To focus on those things is to live a life of regret. I believe that I must look for the sunshine in every situation, and that we must see the good in each other to survive.

This past election was a great example. Millions of people gathered to celebrate, to make their voices heard, to triumph over corrupt and old ways, and to invite a breath of fresh air in. We saw the sunshine in this one man and because of his journey; we started to believe in good again.

Our country is in a dire state. I dream of some day telling my grandchildren how I lived through this time of uncertainty, when Grandpa and I graduated from college and found that after four years of hard work, and with thousands of dollars owed to various loan companies through out the state, the opportunity that we had been promised as school children was simply not available to us.

I dream of that day because I know that day will be better. I believe that it will be because of one man’s journey. His journey is a message to us all. He fought against all odds; he did something that has never, ever been done before. He was daring enough to put himself out there for all of us to see, to judge, and mock, celebrate and curse. Courage like this, we have never seen before; I have never seen before. I have never believed as much in anyone as I do him. Experiencing that feeling, it makes me believe in everything. Nothing is impossible. It is every Disney story, it is the joy of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and it’s real. It’s ours, and in this miserable mess, it’s hope.

He fought for all of us when we couldn’t fight for ourselves. When I look into his eyes, I see not only the passion to carry through, but also the burden of it. I see that he was given this job. He came here to save us. He came here to give my children a better day than I have ever seen. How will I ever thank him, for the hope he gave me? After the past 4 years, I thought I would never get it back.

I believe in seeing beauty in the falling snow, in the flowers that grow along my mother’s porch. I believe in reveling in a cup of coffee. I believe in listening to Clare De Lune on repeat, just to let the notes resonate within me. I believe in thanking God for warm pajamas and a purring cat. But most of all I believe in me. I believe in America. And I believe in our future.