Obama Spoke of Us Today

 FireFamily Gets Political, Parenting, Photography  6 Responses »
Jan 202009
 

I watched, blinking back tears, as President Obama took the Oath of Office. At that point, BigBrother was still home. I hugged him as he sat on my lap, feeling a bit sad that my oldest son (let alone my youngest son) wouldn’t remember this historic day (unless something totally awesome happens at preschool). All the same, I’ll remember it. Even if you didn’t vote for Obama, you’re going to remember it. Just the Oath itself was an amazing thing to witness. And then came his speech.

Obama spoke of us today, specifically of the Fire Family. While letting us know that he is a President by and for the people, he reminded us that it is we, the people, who will ultimately change this nation (one should add, for good or not so good). And, then came the mention of our family.

It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t speaking of FireDad, TheBrothers and me, but, well, it sure felt like it. And, let me tell you, it feels good to be recognized. Not only did President Obama tip his hat at the hard work firefighters do to protect our families and towns but he also gave a nod to every parent among us (firefighters included). After a string of hectic parenting days (as LittleBrother is teething and/or sick), I needed a nod. Respect for what I am doing feels good. It gives me all the more respect for what he is doing.

And, so then, what are you doing? What are you doing to make this nation a better place to live? I don’t care about party lines as long as you’re doing something that you believe in. 2008 was a year in which we saw people take an active, physical interest in politics; some who had never voted or cared about such things before. But political action doesn’t end with the election of a President, however historic. What are you doing to help your community? Your city? Your state? Your special interest group? Your children and your children’s children? Don’t think that now that Obama officially wears the title of President that the fight is over. If you really want to see that change take place, you’ve got to do something about it.

Us? Besides continuing the fight for adoptees to gain access to their Original Birth Certificates, we’ll be continuing to volunteer and help out with some other interests of ours. I predict some more involvement this year as I’m no longer battling postpartum depression. We’ll also be raising these boys to be the compassionate souls that we know that they are… most of the time. We’re raising them, actively participating in their learning and character forming. Getting messy in the process, like you should if you’re doing it right. See?

We painted this together (idea found on Kaboose), me and BigBrother, when he got home from school. You can see the mistakes as I let him take control after I showed him where the colors went on the design that I had pre-drawn with pen. The mistakes make it more real, don’t you think? Our new President is going to make mistakes. FireDad and I are going to make mistakes, professionally and as parents. BigBrother and LittleBrother are going to make mistakes. And yet, in doing all of this today with my children, I was filled with a sense of hope.

Hope for my children. Hope for our family. Hope for me. Hope for you. Hope for our nation. I pray that feeling continues, even through the mistakes, and that we come out the other side of this with the ability to recall and rejoice in this feeling we’re floating on right now.

Because hope isn’t a bad thing, folks. It’s just not.

[Once again, this is my shot for Project365 today over on Stop, Drop & Photograph. Apologies for duplicates two days in a row.]

Is It November Yet: If I Ran for President

 FireFamily Gets Political, Reviews  2 Responses »
Oct 212008
 

Last week I stayed away from the issues and offered up a review of a book we recently purchased. And it still ticked people off. Apparently kid politics are still too much for adults to handle. All the same, I grabbed another book this week and I’m going to tell you about it. Hold on to your horses.

If I Ran For President is a great book. BigBrother is able to sit through the entire book but I will admit that it is sometimes over his head. There are concepts that he just doesn’t yet get. However, he asks questions, points out things that he does know and really likes a few special pages in the book. Therefore, in my opinion, it isn’t too early to read it to him. If he whined, cried or refused to pay attention, I’d put it aside until later. Since he is paying attention, it is now in our timely-topic rotation along with Duck for President, Pumpkin Town!, I Spy A Pumpkin and Who Loves the Fall? (The latter of which you mustmustmust buy if you are a fall loving family. Quick easy read!)

Anyway, If I Ran for President hits on the things that others complained about regarding Duck. We have talk of political parties. (Though they threw third parties into quotation marks which makes them look like non-real parties and that didn’t sit well with me.) Talk of conventions. Of campaigning. Of election results. Of not being a sore loser. BigBrother’s favorite page is the one with the map (while they are talking about how everyone in the country goes to vote) because we’ve been working on states. We get stuck on this two page spread for about five minutes but it is worth it!

I found it interesting that this book was published in 2007, long before the drama of this particular election hit the fan. It is almost as if the author had a crystal ball in which the future was observed. This particular paragraph, as the child talks about deciding whether or not to run for President, tickles me every time I read it. BigBrother has no idea why I’m laughing. But I’m laughing.

I’d have to think carefully about my decision to run for president. I would want to know how my family felt about it, too.

Then I’d ask myself: “Am I the best person for the job? Am I ready to work VERY, VERY, VERY hard for my country? Do lots of people believe in me, and will they help me run for office?”

See? Funny! Adult political innuendo aside, another thing I love about the book is the diversity of the children talking about running for President. Girls, boys and various ethnic features, nothing keeps the child from deciding to run. I love (love!) books with diversity and while Duck was able to beat out humans, it was nice to see diversity among humans as well.

The best part about this book? After I finished reading this book to BigBrother the other night, I told him that it was a very important book. I told him that in November, we would vote for a new President. After I got him back on the topic of voting and the election after mentioned the word November which is automatically associated with his birthday, he told me that he was going to be President someday. When I told him that was a very cool idea, he told me he was going to be a firefighting President. New meaning to hero, no?

Another great thing about If I Ran For President is that since it is really written for an older audience, it will be useful to us in another four years and LittleBrother will benefit from the purchase as well. Perhaps your family would benefit, too?

Every Tuesday through November 4, 2008, we will be discussing something political here on Stop, Drop & Blog. Our weekly series is entitled “Is It November Yet” because, well, we’re excited for change, ready for the number of posts in our Google Reader to go down and overwhelmed with the wealth of information to search through. I’ll be back to being all controversial and in your face next week. WOO!

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