Things that can apparently make me cry...

1. "Sasha and Malia, you've earned the new puppy that will be coming with us to the White House." Puppies always bring out my emotional side. Presidential puppies?! Definitely cry worthy.

2. Ebert's blog post, which I read at 4:00 this morning, made me weep like a hosepipe. I love you Roger Ebert.

3. Rewatching Obama's speech this morning. Something about last night made it seem completely unreal. My mind rejected the fact that the election was over, after months and months of obsessively following everything. I think this is finally sinking in today. It's a good feeling.

4. Hearing Condoleezza Rice's emotional comments this morning, I was surprised to find myself tearing up at Condi's words. I'm not quite sure why. I think I might just be overly emotional.

(5.) Prop 8 (and other similar initiatives) passing. This doesn't count in the same way as the other four things (thus the parentheses) because I was crying for a completely different reason. I am still determined and optomistic, however heartbreaking this news is at the moment, that I will in my lifetime see same sex marriage become recognized under law in the entire country. For my mama's sake.

I realize that Obama supporters all over the country are currently celebrating their butts off, while others are upset and worried for this country. I sincerely wish those who are disappointed do not take the following comments as gloating, talking down to or putting their views down in any way, because that is antithetical to my point. But, in my completely unasked for opinion, this election (no matter your political beliefs) can bring change that doesn't favor either party, change that doesn't really even come from politicians. In the past 24 hours I have felt a distinct and profound change in the way people are looking at the world. I have seen people - cynical, angry, tired people like myself - become overjoyed and proud of the country they live in. Hope doesn't feel like a mindless slogan anymore. It is instead a feeling which has never before today applied to my thoughts about this country. I've talked to a lot of people who feel the same. So I hope this feeling of optimism prevails, I hope people continue to hope that things will get better, and I hope people will then work to actually make things get better. Because this whole mess the world is in will be difficult enough to overcome on its own. Belief is huge. And though belief by itself will not fix any of the world's problems, it is only when people truly believe the world can change, that the opportunity for change actually arrives.