It was a beautiful day eight years ago, when Barack Obama was first inaugurated president of the United States. He’s aged some, but he has kept producing moments of beauty and uplift to the end. In a “final thank you note” to the American people, he wrote:
I’ve seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding.
All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work — the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.
I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.
And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We the People.’ ‘We shall overcome.’
Yes, we can.
It’s safe to say inauguration day 2017 won’t have the moments of grace we saw in 2009. Let’s take a little look back to remember.