Presidential Leave Taking- Relief Or Regrets?

       I will play the devil’s advocate for a minute.  With all of the adulations for President Barack Obama and the intense emotional highs today of the American people…I couldn’t help but wonder about former President Bush and his wife Laura as they left the White House and all that goes with it.  Was the presidential leave taking a moment of relief or regrets?

        I am sure there has to be an immense sense of relief to shift the weight of the world ( actually the weight of the US) from President Bush to new President Obama’s shoulders.  That has to feel good to a certain degree.  The issues of the country are no longer his burden; and yet, I am sure there is a boat load of conflict going on his his heart and mind.

         It has to feel bittersweet to see all of the open welcoming that the Obamas are receiving at the moment when there are those who have made it clear that they couldn’t wait for the President Bush to leave office.  In fact, the last year of his term in office…there were reports that claimed that he had the lowest presidential approval of any president in recent memory.  That has to hurt. 

        Certainly Bush made mistakes in his governing; Obama says that there are sure to be mistakes in his administration as well.  That is just humanity.  What is notable is that when mistakes are made that they are acknowledged and corrected. 

         The grace of the American public had come to an end because of a multitude of crises and financial upheaval.  There was no more time to get back into the good graces of the American public.  In my mind, former President Bush has to have some regrets about some world events and some personal choices.  Those regrets include the fact that there wasn’t anymore time to correct the legacy of his presidency.  When it comes right down to it…the man and the position are blended with world events and political choices. 

        The presidential legacy that is left when one president leaves office and another takes the helm is often open to interpetation; some believe that in time, some of President Bush’s decisions will be explained and redeemed.  At this moment in time, because of the issues facing the nation….we dont have the luxury of time to do that analyzing now…we have work to do…as President Obama made sure we understood in his address to the nation.  

         President Obama’s legacy is yet to be developed.  Time is the lens through which we view the quality of a President’s service.

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Observing The Inauguration

     I can’t believe all of the different things that this inauguration appears to mean to each person that i talk to or read about.  Some people are moved to tears by the inspiration of it all.  Some people are in awe of the historical nature.  For others it is more personal; they have invested so much of their own personal hopes and dreams into the candidates for the office of the President of the United States.  Observing the inauguration is a very personal and a very public thing.  The swearing in of the 44th President of the United States is a solemn occasion and is observed by all in a variety of ways.

      For quite some time there has been indiviual stories on the news about individuals who have made the trek to view the ceremonies in person…some have borrowed money to get there or made amazing sacrifices to fund the trip.  Others who are content to watch from their homes watch avidly….others in dismay.

      Supporters of candidates who did not win the nominations have differing views and opinions.  I watch and look for conflicting emotions on the faces of those who could have been in a different place during todays proceedings..and yet…i see pride, joy and excitement in their faces.

       Watching the former Presidents and the mixture of emotions and memories flood their visage is truly something to see.  Their wives remembering their time in the spotlight…reflecting on the changes since their moment…you can see the strength that it takes to endure the pressures and the passage of time.

        It is no simple time …the respect of the responsibility, the solemness of the swearing in…the honor…the pride…the exaltation…it is such a mixture of the past, the present and the future.  Truly…can feel the waves of deeply held beliefs and expectations.  For this one day, we can enjoy the coming together as a nation.  There will be time on another day to examine the differences, the disappointments, the frustrations and the solutions to problems that exist…For now…today is momentous!  I am thrilled that God is acknowledged as the ultimate authority of our nation…I pray that President Barack Obama submits his actions to be wholly acceptable to the only person who he should be in submission to at this point and that is God himself.  May God bless our nation…and may we live up to the standards that he expects from us.

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