Hello, Mr. President

It's so cheesy to call something "once-in-a-lifetime." But that's what today was for me.

Today I got up at 5:30 am to drive to Golden, Colorado to see President Obama speak. My Mom and I grabbed some breakfast and coffee (for me) before meeting up with Abbi & Nick for the big event. I can't properly put into words the joy I felt in my heart being with my mother for this momentous occasion and witnessing her immense awe at what we were getting to do. My excitement was heightened by hers. She bought us both pins and cried a little as we made our way to the line. She wondered aloud to me if this was what Beatles fans had felt like in the early days when they went to the concerts and sobbed with joy. To be honest, her teary-eyed enthusiasm was nothing short of precious.

{Rock star seating.}

We waited in line for maybe an hour before they let us move through the gates that were akin to airport security. No beverages, no food. Once we made it through the most incredible, serendipitous thing happened. A woman approached Abbi and Nick before Mom and I rejoined them and asked if our party would like to sit behind the President of the United States during his speech! Are you kidding? We were all tripping over ourselves to say yes. I say she picked us to be among the lucky few because Abbi and Nick are such an adorable couple and would look good on tv. I'm so lucky I was with them! After we got the super-special stickers on our tickets that allowed us VIP seating, we made our way up to the stands and tried to calm down before President Obama arrived. We had a few hours to kill so we chatted, mulled over our immense luck and I admit I read a few pages of "My Most Excellent Year."

I can't really even begin to speak about the whirlwind forty minutes after the President made his entrance. I wish I had gotten better pictures when he arrived, but I was shaking with so much emotion that it's all a blur.

A few snapshots for my personal records and your viewing pleasure:

{My sister snapped this one of her screen while streaming the speech. Yes, believe it or not, I am in this photo. Third row up, almost all the way off the screen to the left--black shirt, white button, next to the cute lady in the white visor. Abbi is there too, to my right with the cute bangs.}

{Look! Mama in the white visor to Obama's left. I'm sort of in the photo too, but just the top of my head. source.}

I believe in President Obama. I am proud to have voted for him during my very first election in 2008 and I am dedicated to seeing him re-elected in 2012. To hear him speak and be so close to his personage today was a complete unprecedented honor. I know this is a proud and joyous memory I will carry with me throughout my whole life.