Future Presidential Hopeful

(a letter to my daughter)

My darling RX,

Today I saw President Obama for a few split seconds.

He was in town for fundraising. I was at lunch with my friend, BS, and returning to my office when I remembered I needed to go to CVS for something crucial. When I get there, many people are gathered on the corners around California and Battery, and beyond. There are many cops and blockades and the vibe in the air is anticipatory. I knew he was somewhere near today, so I found a good spot and stood and waited with everyone for a good 20 minutes. Then, I heard someone say, "He's gonna be another 45 minutes." Since I was unprepared for a wait, and was just returning from an hour off from work already, I gave up and went into CVS. That's when I heard someone inside the store, yell, THERE HE IS! I spun around and saw many black cars with dark windows rolling past the giant picture windows. I expected he was hidden in one, then I saw a hand! I saw HIS HAND waving to the crowds. It was an enthusiastic hand. It had long, slim fingers and right behind it, A SMILE! I could see his beautiful, white teeth beaming out from a smile deep in the darkness of the car. The crowd erupted and clapped. It was SO EXCITING!! I was THRILLED!

Two thoughts flooded my brain: 1. should I be excited? I don't know what Obama's up to these days. 2. I love that man. I love our President. I have never felt that in my life for a President.

So, maybe you ask yourself as I did, why and how could I love a President whose White House work I have maintained ignorance about. I'll tell you. It's in the way he speaks. He doesn't get flustered or say stupid shit. He's smart. He's even. He has an honest smile—which I saw close up today—and he's honest about his past. Yes, he has smoked pot. Yes, he inhaled, "that's the point, isn't it?” I love that he's black and he's leading a world owned by WHITE MEN. That to me is the greatest thing. As a woman—the other marginalized "race" in this country—I appreciate that so very much. And he supports gay rights. (Ok, gays may be even more marginalized than women and black people in the US.) I love that he sounds compassionate and like he’s good to people who do good.

When he won the Presidency, I cried.

RX, I hope you don't have to scramble to love the President when you're an adult. I hope you can love him or HER for everything that they do, not just for their color and support of gay rights—which shouldn’t be a question anyway—or just because they sound smart and rational and like they CARE; something else that shouldn’t be so rare. I hope you can love our President because they are doing the right thing and changing the world and being compassionate and good to people who have done good—and you KNOW it. I hope that’s your world. I love you.

—your mom.