Last Friday Night

I turned sixteen last Saturday. It was hands-down the best weekend of my life. And interestingly enough, I'd expected it to be the loneliest three days I would ever experience.

My dear best friend, Miss Tickled Pink, had told me a month before that she would be taking on a college visit in Chicago over my birthday weekend. I was a bit bummed, but not too badly. She was to leave Friday night, so when school got out I hugged her goodbye and prepared to spend the weekend alone. Later that evening, though, she kidnapped me for a pre-birthday dinner before she left. It was a lovely birthday surprise.

Except that wasn't the only surprise.

Tickled Pink threw me a legitimate surprise party, complete with the month-long pretense of a trip to Chicago. She worked with The Management and filled the house with my favorite people, and good lord it was perfect. I couldn't believe it. I still can't.

My best friend is the best best friend.

I Love Him

I'm a little late to the game in terms of blogging about the Democratic National Convention, but oh well.

I just finished watching my President commit to this country for four more years. I am so proud of that man. He is my President.

I am the daughter of two teachers, the oldest of five children. My President and his administration made it possible to bring three of my siblings home to America after Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake.

In two years I will be going to college. And I know I am extremely blessed to be able to state that as a fact. There are people in this country who have had to sacrifice their education to make ends meet. I am not going to be one of them. But all the same, paying for my college education scares me. With tuition student loan rates at their highest levels ever, I am at risk of graduating college in 2018 buried in a mountain of debt. My President has promised to ensure that this does not happen, that everyone is able to afford an education. This means so much to me.

As I was watching his speech (and crying, might I add) I noticed his wedding ring. Its presence shocked me; normally you don't think of the President wearing a wedding band, even if he is married. But that gold circle around his finger made me remember- my President, our President, is still just a man. His name is Barack Obama. He is a husband to a smart, strong, fiercely loyal woman and a father to two wonderful girls. He eats. He reads books and plays basketball and sometimes he even sleeps. He is only a man.

But Barack Obama is a man whom I trust. I applaud the work he's done so far. I believe in his vision for America.

Our country must keep moving forward. This man is the one who will lead us there.