I am so proud to have lived long enough to see this night. Now, maybe this nation can bind its wounds and forge ahead TOGETHER! And I predict that the next generation of every race will be better stewards of this land God has given us; they will strive harder to become more educated, to work harder, and to be all that they can be. I hope my grandchildren and all the youngsters in our lives will realize in time what a moment this is and what an opportunity it is for all of us to remind ourselves that Heaven has no back door. We are in this together and as Sen. Obama said four years ago: "we are not a nation of red states or blue states but we are these United States of America."

And God is still in control and for those of us who are Christians, He has given us this opportunity to rid ourselves and this nation of prejudice and hate. Peace and forgiveness begins in the heart and until we find that as individuals, we'll never find it as a nation. As for me, I could never understand the prejudice, the cruelty---nor could my mother. I could never understand why I was taught in church "to love thy neighbor as thyself," and to be taught that "all people are created equally," when they appeared to be just empty words. I could never understand why I was taught to pray for and send money for the missionaries in Africa when black Americans weren't allowed in our churches and schools. So, for me, this is a personal journey and one for which I am thankful I was blessed to see in my lifetime.