Dear family and friends,
We've been thinking about so many of you these past several days, and
about Danny who last February, when asked for his presidential
preference, painstakingly moved his left hand to touch "Obama" written
on a dry-erase board and was certified by an official poll worker as
having voted in the California primary. And now Danny's pick is our
President-elect, having run his campaign on a theme of "Unity", the
word that Danny had tattooed on his lower back in 2003.
Regardless of your political leanings, this is an exciting time for
our nation and the world. I, like so many others, believe that Barack
Obama will work to unite us and build a consensus to take on the
massive challenges the country faces.
Last night, as we watched the results, many of Danny's friends came
over to the house. When Obama was declared the winner there were
shouts and cheers and tears, and noisy banging on pots and pans.
Several of the kids, aged 21 to 23, told me that they were really
aware of how proud they were to be Americans: for most of their
politically-conscious lives, they'd lived under a Bush administration
whose policies disappointed them and often flew in the face of the
principles enumerated in the Constitution. When traveling overseas,
they'd had to disown the Bush policies while defending the goodness of
the American people. So they were overjoyed at the prospect of a
president they can believe in and admire.
In the middle of the celebration, I got a call from Al Carter,
Jaylin's dad, who was jubilant. We talked about the bitter history of
his race in America, and the difficult years he and I had recently
experienced, and we agreed that it felt like the dawn of a new day.
On the subject of good news, Tricia and Andy are going to have a baby
next June. Lynn and I are going to be grandparents. And while we wish
the baby could have known his or her Uncle Danny, there's no doubt
that we, and many of you, will help the child get to know Danny
through stories and music. The circle is unbroken.
Tomorrow Lynn and I leave for three weeks in India where we'll stay at
Meher Baba's Center, blissfully cut off from phones, computers and
television. While there, we'll give thanks for the many blessings
you've showered on us.
With love and gratitude,
Jeff
Attached are two photos from our trip to India in 1993 (Danny was 8):
1) Danny and Katie with Meher Baba's Tomb behind them
2) Danny and Katie with Bhau Kalchuri
|
