The Road to Home

A little more than a month ago, I walked through my little house with the Goldilocks deck for the last time. My daughter walked with me from room to room that evening ... bless her sweet heart, she drew the short straw on being the one of my three children to live close enough to me to be the designated "help Mom get through moving day because we all know she's going to lose it" kiddo. I must say, however, that my children's assessment as to what my emotional state would be on moving weekend wasn't entirely accurate ... I barely cried at all on Saturday. I sobbed my heart out pretty much all day on Sunday, though, and I do mean sobbed. I knew it would be hard when the time finally arrived for me to leave my little house, but I had no idea it would be as difficult as it was.

When I began writing my post this evening, I intended to write about things I miss a lot about my house ... like my garage, my fenced-in back yard and my beloved walking trail ... and things I don't miss even a little bit ... like worrying about repairs that needed to made and not having the money to make them or the long commute to and from work. I intended to write about how the road to home now is so very different than the road to home was before. I intended to write something that would inspire you ... something that would cause you to search your heart and think about which road you're traveling.

That's what I intended to write, but then I watched and listened as President Obama gave his farewell address to the nation. If you've been reading along with me for a while, you know that I have a fairly strict code when it comes to not writing about political issues ... should you go away tonight thinking this post is about politics, then it's time for me to hang up my pen and never write another word. This post isn't about political parties or societal issues or any of the plethora of other hotbeds of disagreement that threaten to consume our country. This post is about the respect, humility, grace, honor, appreciation and dignity demonstrated by the President of the United States in his farewell speech this evening to the American people ... his speech to all Americans ... let me say that again, friends ... his speech to all Americans.

"Show up, dive in, stay at it. Sometimes you'll win, sometimes you'll lose."

"My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you. I won't stop; in fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days."

"We're all in this together. We rise or fall as one." --- President Barack Obama