Now that I have your attention, it's back to my attempt to share a meal with Senator Obama. I am hoping that the decision will be based more on the comments submitted than on the amount donated, since I'm pretty much tapped out this month - our first since my husband left his job.
Most of my Monday night Grieving Room compatriots know my story well.
Dear Senator Obama,
I am a 42 year old, happily married mother of two. I am a professional classical singer and a professor of singing; I feel blessed to be able to center my career on making music.
I was lucky to be raised by intelligent parents who never modeled or accepted sexism or racism in our home. My progressive values were also shaped by a Christian upbringing that focused less on dogma and more on helping those who need help, and treating others with respect, compassion, inclusion, and love.
Two years ago this week, my beloved 68 year old mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. This strong, vital woman, who had been volunteering at the local food bank and "freeway blogging" against the Iraq war, was suddenly faced with a death sentence – one that she bravely knocked back time and again – until finally succumbing to her disease one year ago on Good Friday morning, 4/6/07.
While she was in the midst of unspeakable pain from the cancer, as well as from the chemotherapy, she faced another pain as well: how would she be able to afford the Medicare Prescription plan D "doughnut hole" that she fell into that last fall? Thankfully, our family and friends rallied with donations and helped her through. But what about other people who aren’t as economically fortunate?
An American mother & grandmother who worked hard for forty years (as a school psychologist, then a school administrator, then a small business owner) should NOT have to fret over whether she can afford the medication that keeps her out of pain while she’s dying. That’s not what my country is about. This needs to change. We need hope.
Anyway, I told you about my mom because when I think about this election, I know she would have LOVED to have witnessed it. For me, in my generation, it is enough to finally have a candidate who supports my values AND inspires me in a way I’ve never been inspired by a politician in my lifetime. But for her, the life experiences of the candidates, who they are and what they represent, would be as important as anything in their speeches. I suspect she would have felt torn by her fierce feminism and the strength of moral character that motivated her to reject the racism she grew up with in the Jim Crow-era South. In the end, though, I believe with all my heart that she would have turned her focus to the human beings inside the candidates’ exteriors we see on the television.
When my step-father and I were talking about her recently, the subject turned to whom mom would have voted for. We both believe that what she would have been most excited about is the idea that we don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done – we can CHANGE. We can HOPE. Yes, we can. Just like my mom would have, my family is voting for you Senator Obama. Thank you.
It occurred to me (after I sent this in) that it might seem like emotional pandering of the worst kind (not unlike the pootie vid up top)... but the reality is that I now look at the world through the lens of my personal grief. I could pick any number of issues that concern me - perhaps more than Medicare Part D does - but the point I wanted to make is that when a senior citizen is dying and in pain, THIS issue towers the war and the value of the dollar, at least for her and her family. If my story isn't picked, I hope that at least one of the dinner guests will talk to Senator Obama about the dire need for a healthcare system overhaul - an INTELLIGENT one, this time.
In the interest of raising my odds and having a better shot at dinner with Obama, I was going to keep all of this to myself. But I have an inkling my mom would want me to be better than that, so here's your chance to have dinner with Obama, too. Just give what you can, and be sure to include YOUR story in the little box on the bottom right.
