2020 Life Logs, Day 311: Soul of the Nation
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020
Weather: Drop Dead Gorgeous Day; High 70, Low 49 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
What a day! First, I must mention that it was gloriously warm and sunny day. It felt like summer, which is always a great thing in November. I was outside at 11:27 am when I heard a ding on my phone. The message said, “We did it—he won!” And then immediately there was another ding, a message from my son Justin in Puerto Rico saying, “We won!” I headed inside and turned on the TV. Then I got a call from my sister in Nashville asking if I knew the election had finally been called for Joe Biden. And then another text from my friend Linda Stuart in Colorado. I turned on the TV and caught up with the happenings. What a sense of relief washed over me. It has been a tough four days since the election with no final results and an even tougher four years, but all of a sudden I felt the burden being lifted. 
I continued my day, but after a beautiful sunset over the marsh, I caved and came inside to watch the happenings. It was like watching a national block party. Young people in all parts of the country were celebrating with abandon. They came forth in this election with their votes and they deserve the celebration.
I put on the Biden-Harris t-shirt that had belonged to my niece Lynn that died recently. Her mother wanted me to have it as she knew that Lynn and I shared the same political enthusiasm. Lynn had worked so hard as a volunteer in this campaign, so wearing her t-shirt, I looked up to the heavens to make sure she got the message that we won.
Tonight, I watched the President and Vice-President Elect address the nation. Kamala opened by talking about a new day for America and I heard a television commentator say that she looked and sounded like a new day in America. And she did. She fits this moment in history so perfectly. And Biden’s speech continued the replication of the themes of this campaign—unity over division, decency, empathy, truth, science. Words that we certainly need reintroduced into the political nation. But his most important words were his first, “For love of country.” It is so refreshing to see young Democratic voters all over the country waving the American flag. I heard historian John Meacham say tonight, “Democracy is not a state. It is an action.” And enough Americans took action through their votes to make a change in the direction this country was headed. But the work is just beginning. Another presidential historian, Michael Beschloff also said tonight, “Eternal vigilance is always the price of liberty.” Our job is not done. It is ongoing. But it was wonderful to have one night of celebration before we get down to the hard work of restoring the soul of the nation.
