Air and Simple Gifts

I watched the inauguration at the State House, at a gathering hosted by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts. Despite the unfortunate angle of the sun streaming in through tall windows (which made the screen a little hard to see), the whole morning was moving in a way I hadn't even anticipated.

What surprised me most was my own response to Air and Simple Gifts, the quartet arranged by John Williams for the inauguration. The crowd seemed to hold its breath for those moments - and in those moments, all was hope and possibility. A sudden and unexpected feeling of serenity washed over me, like I was being wrapped in a warm blanket and held there by kind, strong hands.

Of course, that euphoria could not last too long. One only need to return to one's desk, the newspaper headlines, the news reports, the endless demands of the day, to be reminded of the unprecedented challenges of these days - uncertainty, anxiety, fear.

But for those few minutes, I allowed myself to trust that our leadership would, in fact, lead.

And that one day - even if not tomorrow, or next month, or next year, but one day - it would all be better.