The Inauguration with Patience

The Inauguration of the 

45th President 

of the United States

Wednesday, January 18, I had the privilege of flying to Washington, D.C. to meet my sisters and my son for the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States. This was my inaugural inauguration, so to speak. Rachel, Lynne, and Patrick had all been to at least one in the past. It was a tremendous honor to be included in this historic event.

Washington is so full of history. We live in a magnificent nation!

What did we get to do while we were there?
Well, we walked and walked and walked some more!

• We got to go to a reception at Senator Paul's office. That was pretty cool because the building is so old and gorgeous. 
• We saw a concert at the Lincoln Memorial. They had some pretty spectacular fireworks afterward. 
• We ate at two wonderful restaurants. The Ethiopian one was especially interesting and enjoyable. 
• We witnessed the swearing in of our 45th President. We stood within the "inner circle of port-a-potties" -- meaning we weren't too far from the capitol steps. The whole ceremony was very interesting -- people applauding, people booing, choirs singing, bands playing. Again, I was honored to be a part of it all. 
• We got to attend the Freedom Ball that night. I guess the last time I went to a "ball" was the prom in 1978. And we definitely didn't wear anything this fancy back then. 
• I got to experience the use of Uber for the first time. 

What was my favorite thing we did?
Hm. I'd say, hands down, it was spending time with my sisters. It's been a very long time since we have been together just the three of us. And Patrick was a nice fourth wheel!

But I must add that my next favorite thing was getting to meet and talk with Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty. I even got my picture taken with him -- for Will, you understand! He was so gracious. It was quite a treat. 

Not ever having been to an inauguration or anything like it, the most awe-inspiring thing for me was being in the same room with the President at the ball. I was about 20 feet away from him and his wife. After seeing him in person, I can honestly say I was very pleased with how genuine he seemed. And I was humbled at the chance to be there. 

What was my least favorite thing to do?
Walk. I decided that if I ever do this again, I'm not going to even consider what sort of fashion statement I'm making as I walk around. Sneakers or whatever goes with sneakers -- that's what I'm going with next time. (Then I can tolerate wearing something fancy for the ball!)

What do I think about politics?
I wish politics could follow the golden rule -- do to others as you would have them do to you. That would pretty much take care of the posturing, the misrepresentations of the truth, the bickering, and the selfishness we see every day in this arena. I'm not holding my breath on that one!

What is our responsibility moving forward?

We need to acknowledge that our forefathers laid the foundation for a phenomenal nation and that this is, indeed, an incredible place to live. Instead of segregating one race from another by chanting, "Black Lives Matter,"

we should instead be standing arm in arm singing, "ALL lives matter!" We should pray earnestly for all of our elected officials and public servants. And we should treat all of them (and each other) with respect. 

Lord, thank you so much for this special land in which we live. Thank you for the freedoms we have. Help us not to take them for granted. Help us to put our politics aside, to love and respect each other, and to work together to make our country even better than it is today. May we truly be one nation under Your power.