Namaste my brothas….I hope this article finds you well and in good spirits. I have been feeling hopeful of late- and it feels good! It feels like it has been a very, very long time, since I last hoped. What power lies behind our hopes. The power to facilitate change in our lives and in the world around us.
On January 20, 2009, we will witness another historic event in this country…..Barrack Obama will be sworn in as the president of the United States. His win in the November elections gave voice to my hope and that of so many people, not just here in the U.S., but all over the world. In the days leading up to the election, I found myself feeling increasingly fearful of hoping….Every time I would feel that hope start to rise up inside of me, I would stop myself in an unconscious effort to protect myself from the pain and devastation that would surely follow were he not successful. For many of us know the cost of hope unrealized. But I could not stop the hope, no matter how much I tried. My spirit took flight and when my hopes were realized, the joy was incredible. And it continues to carry me forward. For the first time, when I see the soon-to-be president-elect, I smile. When I see the soon to be “first family” my heart smiles. The displays of love and affection I see between the president-elect and the soon-to-be first lady brings me joy. What is being reflected to me in these images speaks to some very deep woundings; woundings that are far greater than in this lifetime alone.
“I Have a Dream”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1968
The Dream Came True!
Barack Obama elected
President of the U.S.
2008
For the first time in the history of this country, a country built on the attempted genocide of the indigenous peoples; off the backs of chattel slavery; and the continued unacknowledged and demonized use of immigrant labor, the leader is someone who has an understanding of what some of my experiences have been like. Though there are no doubt many differences in our experiences, for the first time, I feel there are some common understandings we share that previous presidents never could. And my heart smiles in hope. President-elect Obama embodies hope for me. And in that hope is a re-emergence of spirit and energy that I have not felt in a very long time. In this country where the race debate is often limited to black and white, with not much acknowledgement of the many shades of brown that lie in between, I have hope that the president can one day be of South Asian descent. Growing up, that was never even on my radar; but it is now. And for many, many children of all the different descents in this country, it is a tangible, realizable hope.
On election night I received the following text on my mobile: “Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama’s running, so our children can fly”. And for the first time, “our children” felt inclusive to me. As we come to the beginning of a new year, I am hopeful, that hope carries over into all areas of my life. What do you feel hopeful about for the New Year? In what ways can you allow hope to take flight in your own life, even when the circumstances don’t feel very hopeful? Not an easy question I know, but one I hope you may spend some time reflecting on.
Until next time my brothas, peace and blessings….Meeta
