I wanted something to post today, but I find myself quite busy at work and unable to get enough time to put something together that is worth anyone’s time. Then i remembered something I wrote for Elizabeth when she was still growing in her mother’s womb. I have published it before, but not on this blog. Originally written 1/20/2009.

I was unsure whether to keep these thoughts to myself or to be open enough to let others see them. I have decided to do that which I would have never done before in hopes of being a better me. Therefore, please feel free to share with anyone and everyone.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.- Mahatma Gandhi

I have had an awakening today, one that has been stirring in my soul for some time now. I have tried to capture my feelings and thoughts as a means of marking this very special point in my life. Today is that day that I look not to follow in the footsteps of those that have come before, but to start to make footsteps for others to follow. I hope this inspires you to take action towards your inner voice, realize your dreams and hope for something better for everyone you touch throughout your life. I write this to positively impact others so that the world may be a better place for the love of my life, my wife Bess, and the best gift of my life, my daughter, Elizabeth Rose Erin Rodgers. I await your arrival into the world with all the anticipation and excitement that a man can handle. I love you both.

If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you, look at yourself in the PRESENT, for that is the past’s effect. If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the PRESENT, for that is the cause of the future.- Majjhima Nikaya

Today contained one of those rare moments in history. For the rest of your days you will be saying “I remember when…” and the others will ask “Where were you when…?” It is unlike any other event in our time or even during the last several generations. It does not mark the day that over 3000 lives were lost as on 9/11. Nor is it the day when a tyrannical government system lost its control as marked by the fall of the Berlin wall. There were no Space Shuttle disasters today and no famous leaders passed on today either. It does not mark the day that we fought back oppression of global proportions like we did on D-Day. Today was special and historically unique. Its significance is greater than any of us can grasp at this moment and greater than most of us will be able to grasp for years to come. It is more than just the first real sign that racism is loosing its fight as we watched the first African-American President of the United States of America sworn into office. It is hope for a better future.
Hope may be the most powerful feeling in the universe. It is possibly the one feeling and force for good that can start so small and innocent. One person with the conviction and courage to share their hope with everyone can change the direction and behaviors of the greater group. It can unite large groups and move them to act for the greater good. If money is the root of all evil….then hope is the seed of all good. It is hope for something better that empowers us to take risks beyond our normal comfort zone. It is inherent in the human character to have hope and dreams. But although it may be hard wired in us, there are forces in the world that act to crush our hopes. We cannot allow hope to die without a fight. We cannot sit back and idly watch others achieve their dreams as the beleaguered masses are sacrificed and crushed. Every man, woman and child deserves, and has a right, to have hopes and to dreams and more importantly, the chance to see them come to fruition. We cannot allow anyone to take this from us.
Whether you agree with his politics or not, there is no denying that President Obama sparks hope for so many in the world. He has become the embodiment of what past President’s take as a title, a luxury of position- The World’s Most Powerful Man. It has been a long time since the country has been seen as a better place and moving in a positive direction. Think for yourself, when was the last time you could say that you were truly “proud to be an American”? He has already started the repair of our once great image. He as started to change not only the image that the world has of us, but more importantly, our own self image. There is no denying that the people of the world and the citizens of the United States are looking for change and change we will. Not because of what President Obama will do, but by what the collective of humanity can achieve.
President Obama took the first step in giving us a vision for which to be hopeful. Hope is only the beginning. He has shown us the light and it is now up to us to walk towards it with all the focus we can muster from the depths of our soul. There have never been so many with such common determination and oneness of purpose. We may not have a chance like this again on our lifetime. We cannot waste what has been given to us. We must take this opportunity to show compassion, love and understanding and to find happiness, peace and prosperity for everyone.

What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen. – Henry David Thoreau

A leader is a dealer in hope.- Napoleon Bonaparte

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. – Martin Luther King