Feeling Hopeful

I called my Dad last night and we got to the topic of the election. To my surprise he proudly told me that he voted for Obama. While this may not sound like much to some people, when I look at the man I knew my father to be as a child, I am taken aback. This is the man who used to tell me that if black people got any power they would use it to oppress us white people, and so we should make sure they don't. In the course of the conversation he even admitted to how racist he has been in the past and how hurtful it was. Wow!

I have learned from this the following things:
1. People can grow and change if we let them. There's been a part of me that has held on to this image of my father from my childhood. And it had hurt our relationship immensely. As an adult, I've had to learn to acknowledge the person he is today.
2. This country is changing. I never would have thought my father would vote for a black president, but the country/world we live in has changed that.

When I hung up the phone with my father, I cried. I am amazed at the people in this country and am feeling patriotism for probably the first time in my life. Not a patriotism that's used to oppress others, but one that appreciates what our country has become.

The history of racism in our country is horrible and I don't deny that racism still exists in the U.S., but this is progress. I feel like even though there will be struggles (fear in many people will bring out horrible things in the near future, I'm sure) we are finally starting to head in a good direction. For the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful about our country.