if apathy is the poison, hope is its antidote

When I think of the events that occurred on Tuesday, my first reaction is to attempt to cage the disbelief running circles in my head. How do I wrap my head around this thing? Did it really happen?

Let me tell you what I have learned from all of this. While my heart aches over the last eight years, I am grateful for the clarity it has brought in its wake. Clarity so strong, it compelled a country to change.

The way the nation has come together and the speed of their unity amazes me. It gives me faith in humanity and restores my trust in democracy. The faceless masses across America and around the world have united. They need no faces, they have one, and in it is the proud reflection of the United States -- disabled, but determined.

The capacity I see for hope overwhelms me. It transcends race and ethnicity, wealth and poverty, cultural diversities and border lines. If apathy is the new poison, then hope is its antidote. Barack Obama knew before anyone that hope could change the world.

And as I stare into the open face of possibility, the United States of America gives me reason to believe we've only just begun to fight.

So continue to let freedom reign and trust in the fact that the rest of the world is listening.