Dear Obamas

Dear Obamas,

I couldn't sleep last night. I was thinking about you. I wondered how you're sleeping in The White House on your final night. You're probably ecstatic about your emancipation on this day.

As I tossed and turned in my bed, I wondered...

Have the girls tried out their new beds yet?
Where will you go on vacation?
How long will you be gone?
A month? 
A few weeks?

You deserve some rest and relaxation without the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Will Sacha get to go with you, or is she still in school?

She's a teenager now. She must love her friends and her school.  Your girls have become beautiful young women. They make me feel like their proud Auntie. I'm every girl's adopted Auntie since I only have boys.
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Are you and Michelle as in love as it seems?  Your relationship looks like the real thing --authentic love, based on knowing and having mutual respect and admiration for one another. The love is palpable, like something you can pick up and spread around you like pixie dust.  I feel it when I see the way that you look at each other.

I realize it can't be all storybook and romance. Marriage is work. My husband and I have been doing it for nearly twenty-two years. It has been beautiful and inspiring for us to watch your partnership. May it continue to flourish for years to come. I have a feeling it will.

I can only imagine the mixed emotions you're all feeling today.  We are all feeling them too.

We are worried about the future, but even through that, we look to you and find solace in your reassurance that we will be alright.

This is a setback for a setup of progress. I pray that it is. I must admit, that I am really scared more than ever in my lifetime. I know, that this country has been through adversarial times before, and we have always survived as Americans.  I reassure my boys of this while trying to believe that this time, it actually will be okay.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your hard work, despite the challenges and opposition you faced at every turn. You were always a dignified example for us all, especially for our children.

Because of your example and all that is happening in the world, one of my sons who happens to have autism and a brilliant mind for science and math is now actually considering a career in politics or political activism. He may not run for office, but he definitely wants to do something that will have an impact on changing our society for the better.  There is obviously so much more work to do.

A funny little story...

He was in the third grade when you were running for office the first time. I remember one day I had to scold him while we were at our local swimming pool. "Stop talking about politics and go swim!" I wanted him to be worn out so he would sleep well that night.

We will continue to look to you and pray for your family. With sadness in my heart on this day. We will love you forever. You will always be my President and First Family.

Love,
Karen Wesley Weaver,
Writer, Mother, World Changer