I don't have a lot more words (that I haven't already said/written) to describe my feelings at the joyous blessing that is saying good-bye to President #45 and welcoming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to our nation's highest office this week (here's my Election Reflection post). To say I feel profound relief, gratitude, and a dissipation of the trauma, piercing anger, cynicism, and crushing existential disappointment of recent years is a bit of an understatement. Hope is something that all people need enough of to get through this challenging life earthside. And despite truly believing that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him," (Romans 8:28), hope has felt in short supply (and my faith has wavered) in recent years because of how dark things have felt living in this country (full of anti-maskers amidst a pandemic) and in this world full of sin. (I also still don't understand why we have such a long time between Election day and the Inauguration; it is not this way in other countries and it seems a bit cruel at times!).
However, today (and yesterday), it truly feels as if we've awoken to a New Dawn.
I was rushing around on Wednesday, working a full family medicine clinic day, and didn't get a chance to watch any live coverage of the Inauguration Day events. In fact, I don't think I've ever watched any Inauguration Day events before in my lifetime, even when Barack Obama took office, which felt truly momentous. However, this year, it felt critically important to participate as a viewer/member of our very fragile democracy because it felt like we, as a country, were turning over a new leaf (or at least were reverting back to some semblance of a leaf we used to have). When, during the workday, I asked my patients generally how they were feeling, I had several of them volunteer how happy and hopeful they felt at knowing that our new President was being sworn in (I had one patient in the office for her pap and IUD replacement wearing several strands of pearls à la Kamala, which looked fantastic even paired with just her exam gown!). I was was certainly not alone in my optimism and joy, among almost all of those in my local, friend, and family community. I even allowed weeknight screen time (basically nonexistent in our house) so that my young boys could also watch some video clips of the day's events (they were thrilled at both the TV time and in welcoming the new administration, and it's so refreshing to not have to be worried about protecting their young ears from what comes out of the speakers' mouths!).
Thankfully, there weren't any armed militias storming Washington and shooting at (or threatening to hang) our elected officials or Supreme Court justices (although I can imagine the security was extraordinary after the events and major scare of January 6th). While the outgoing president did not attend the COVID-adjusted masked and socially distanced Inauguration events (not unexpectedly given his general pettiness, and even though it was probably for the best for all involved), there were members of both parties (including former presidents and their wives, as well as ex-VP Mike Pence) in attendance, who all put national unity over partisanship, maintaining tradition and upholding the norms of the peaceful transition of power, which has been sorely missed in this country (especially in recent weeks) and which felt so overwhelmingly reassuring that it's still so hard to really fathom how dark a place we've been as a country for the past few years. We were really living in a nightmare, and now it's the bright, joyful morning day. I needed to pinch myself a few times.
Barack Obama (by Iver [age 6], January 2021)
We swore in as our 46th president a man who has persevered through multiple personal tragedies and professional disappointments to be in a position to be the perfect person to meet this moment in our history, as this country sure needed a heft dose of empathy and grace. There were patriotic speeches centered around the theme of unity, from now-(finally!) President Biden and others (we are, after all, supposed to be the United States, despite how divided we still are). There were musical performances from Lady Gaga (who performed a stunning rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner"), Jennifer Lopez ("This Land is Our Land"), and Garth Brooks ("Amazing Grace"), as well as others later in the evening (although I didn't watch any of the Primetime events). Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old Black woman (and L.A. native) and the youngest inaugural poet in history, recited her stirring poem, The Hill We Climb. We witnessed the swearing-in as our 49th Vice President of the first African-American/Asian-American and highest-ranking woman ever elected in our country, something I won't ever forget in my lifetime (and at first, I thought I hoped that my also-brown kids wouldn’t either; however, now I realize that I more want them to view this as normal, unremarkable; “the first but not the last"). It took one hundred years of women voting to see this day! I also adore Kamala's gem of a first “Second Gentleman” husband, Doug. One day, in the (with hope) not-too-distant future, we will see a "Madam President” (and a “First Gentleman”). This is an America I can love and want to believe in.
I can't stop crying when I see pictures like this.
I have a few 2021 resolutions which my soul, now less burdened, has the emotional space to pursue. Creativity can flourish when one is relaxed, and not stifled by chronic daily catastrophizing (constant outrage and stress upon just reading nonpartisan news is truly exhausting and bad for health!). I've given up coffee and rarely drink alcohol, as they both interfere with my sleep (and now that my kids sleep well and because of where we are where with our country's leadership, I feel like I can actually rest easily at night). I am limiting phone usage and tech distraction (after reading Indistractable, turning off text notifications and installing daily/evening "do not disturb" time whenever I'm not on call). I want to play the piano more and pray/worship/meditate more. I am motivated to clean and KonMari my house. I probably won't need to do any more political blog-ranting for a good, long while. I am trying to live more in the moment and avoid worrying about future events or getting frustrated by things (or people) out of my control or sphere of influence. I will try to do more for my neighbors (and to love people better).
I am trying my hardest at finding grace and forgiving those (including the outgoing president, although I hope to never hear from, read about, or have to think about him again) who have harmed our families, our spirits, our country, and our faith in humanity and in the goodness of people. We as a nation obviously have multiple crises to continue to manage going forward and we have a lot of work and healing to do. However, I truly believe that competent, truthful, faithful, decent people in government can do great things. We are now in exceptionally good hands. Feeling this much peace is a wonderful blessing.
It's a New Year. It's a New Era for our country. It's a New Page. It's a New Dawn.
AMEN.
