Hope in Action

After last night's incredible victory and given what a huge political junkie I am, I attempted to be quick to get a newspaper this morning. But evidently, 1:30 in the afternoon isn't quite fast enough on a day as historic as this. I settled for a lone copy of the Daily Herald, but I wanted two issues of the Tribune.

About 90 minutes later I was at the grocery store and as I was leaving, I remembered I wanted to see if they had any Tribunes. I walked by the stand and encountered a young African-American woman with her young daughter in tow, obviously on the same mission. We both left disappointed.

Walking to my car, I discovered she was parked 2 cars down from me. She opened her car door to put her daughter inside and I called out and walked toward her. When she turned around, I told her I had a Daily Herald at home and wanted her to have it. At first, she protested saying that she wanted the souvenier, not something to borrow. Of course, I knew exactly what she wanted and knew she had to have it. I explained that my intent was for her to keep it for her daughter.

We stood and talked for about 5 minutes. She told me how last night was for her daughter's generation and got her out of the car so I could see her homemade Obama t-shirt. She shared how proud her daughter was to go to school today in the shirt knowing that the new President was like her.

Then she wanted to know why I wanted her to have it and I was initially stumped. Truthfully, I offered it without thinking. But the fact is that I have so much presidential paraphanalia, I don't need it. And last night wasn't about me. It was about her daughter. And with the newspaper, she can look at that everyday for the rest of her life and know that anything is possible and if she wants to be President, she can. Until last night, she didn't know that was truly possible.

Standing there in the Jewel parking lot, the woman cried. And so did I.