Grand Ole Party?

So this is the week--the week our country has a shift in power. The week we usher in a new President, a new administration, a new everything. Everyone keeps talking about change. This change that we'll see in Washington. A change for the future. Before we get excited about our future, can we please take a look at our past? After all, we don't know where we're going, until we know where we've been. And where we've been has been rocky, but steady. Where we've been has been stressful, but safe. Where we've been has been controversial, but faithful. And for that, we have one man to thank. I'm not sure how I will embrace President Obama, but there is no question how I feel about President George W. Bush.

Thank you, President Bush, for keeping our country safe for the past eight years. Thank you, President Bush, for your faith and your strong leadership during times of terror. Thank you, President Bush, for your humility during times of praise and your praying nature during times of trouble. Thank you, President Bush, for making the tough decisions--decisions that have not made you popular but were for the greater good of the country. Thank you, President Bush, for your loyalty to this country, to the office that you held, and your pride for America. Thank you, President Bush, for loving your wife and loving your family. And lastly, thank you President Bush for serving America strongly and dedicating your life to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the past eight years. Your legacy will be one of controversy, of making difficult decisions, of safety during horrific times, and of faith and prayer. You will be greatly missed.

With a changing of the guard comes hard feelings for the losing party. As difficult as the next four years will be for our country, it is time we unite. We may not respect the man in the office, but we have to respect the position that he holds. And that's the beauty of America. That's the freedom that most take for granted. Pray for the office. Pray for the man in the position of power....because he will definitely need it. Pray for the safety of this great country we live in.

Love your country. Your country is the land where your parents sleep, where is spoken that language in which the chosen of your heart, blushing, whispered the first word of love; it is the home that God has given you that by striving to perfect yourselves therein you may prepare to ascend to him. ~Giuseppe Mazzini