Patricia Harrelson

I turned on the TV at 7:10 this morning as I sat in the recliner with my laptop, emailing a friend about the inauguration. The phone rang and it was another friend who was singing OOOBAAAMAA! While I was talking to her, another friend popped in on chat saying, “I’m so excited! I’m tuned into the Internet and the TV, and I can hardly sit still.” My part of the world was alive with the thrill of Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President.

By 7:55, I started shedding tears and knew I couldn’t watch alone. Cindy didn’t plan to get up until 9am, but I woke her and she immediately joined me. We sat and held hands while I cried for the next 2 hours. Then she had to go to work, but by that time he was sworn in, and I was only crying now and then. I continued to watch until 2pm when I decided I needed to get dressed and get some fresh air, but by 5 pm, I was back in front of the TV watching wonderful photographic montages set to Aretha Franklin singing her unbeatable, unstoppable, fantastic gospel rendition of “My Country Tis of Thee.” And I was crying again.

Every morning as part of my Buddhist practice I say the Daily Recitation which is a collection of verses taught at Vichara Bodhiyana Monastery reiterating the Buddhist principles by which I try to live my life. Shortly after 5 today, my teacher Nancy Spence sent an email with this subject line: “An Auspicious Day” and five lines from near the end of the Daily Recitation.

O, Happy Blessed Day!

O, Happy Blessed Place!

O, Happy Blessed Time!

O, Happy Blessed Path!

O, Happy Blessed Opportunity!