In good hands . . .

Speaking with a dear friend yesterday (as opposed to one of my many deer friends), I inquired whether her son, who is 7, is aware of the elections. She said that he is; in fact, when Obama was declared the winner, she woke him to tell him the news and they high-fived -- that's how he rolls. She then said to him, "You know, it's because you wore your pin to school that he won!" at which point this generally savvy fellow hesitated, then asked, "It is?!"

For the first time in a long, long time, I think many of us echo this sentiment ... wait -- we actually can help shape the world around us? The older and more confident I become in my ideology, the more I realize that this is true. And even better? We're raising subsequent generations to intrinsically hold this belief -- to assume that they can make a difference.

This is not about bipartisanship. I don't think President-elect Obama will only ultimately better the lives of Democrats. I truly, deeply believe that he will better the lives of most Americans and many non-Americans, and I expect that in time he'll have made substantial strides in blurring the categories that define us by dividing us.