Many people in this country will curse his name and claim he did nothing for us. Many people will openly hate him and throw parties the day he’s gone. They’ll cheer the day he steps out of the White House and then he’ll be history. But I know the truth about President Obama and what he’s done for us.
President Obama dedicated his life to us for eight long years. His family dedicated their lives to us for eight long years. He gave us his time and attention, his knowledge and his passion. He worked day in and day out to solve our problems and to protect us. He worked hard to mend relationships across the world and to keep our old friends close. He spent time in the spotlight with question after question rolling in. He tried to listen to us when we were calling for help.
He gave up a quiet life with his family and took the hardest job in our country. Perhaps the hardest in the world. Controlling and maintaining our country sounds like a nightmare. It’s not a job that most could handle. You, people, are crazy and wild and free. You are free because of a government who works to protect us through the military and other programs. While it may not suit your views and solve all of your problems, it’s still working hard. Our president may not accomplish what the promised or fix all of our issues. How can we even expect him to? We’re divided more each day. No one can agree on what type of pizza they want let alone how to fix poverty, hunger, and pain.
Our government doesn’t function as smoothly as we think it should. Our government has a lot on their plate. They hear us and are trying to answer us. But our individual problems don’t come before the needs of the whole country. We may think that they aren’t working on the right thing or fixing it fast enough, but I guarantee they are doing the best that they can. We don’t see all the laws, rules and regulations that are stopping them from getting the job done. We don’t see the arguments and the fighting behind official doors to get the job done. We don’t know what the job entails because we’ve never held it.
I want you to know that President Obama certainly doesn’t fit my views. I’m as republican as it gets. His ideas don’ match with mine and that’s okay. I don’t have to agree with him to respect him. I don’t have to agree with him to see all that he’s given up for us and all that he’s tried to do. He deals with protestors who want him gone. Some even want him dead. We too often forget that there’s a lot more behind the scenes. We forget that he works to maintain a country and a household. He fights terrorism and nurtures his children. He loves us and loves his wife. He protects his family and protects all of us. He negotiates deals to make us better business partners and spends time helping our children grow.
But soon we’ll have a new president for you to hate. A president who will be just like Obama. Someone who is hard working, dedicated and concerned about us. I can’t understand why we have to hate the people who give up the most for us. But I refuse to do so. So thank you, President Obama, for your eight years in the office. I hope you can enjoy a peaceful life at home with your family and know that someone out there is grateful for what you’ve given us.
