Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun
these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and
parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and
I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t
always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are
about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been
apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I
want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family
on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life
was all about me—about how I’d make my way in the world, become
successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came
into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles
that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all
my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found
that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I
realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to
ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in
yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of
what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools
worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them,
and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I
want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents
aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and
give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with
their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of
discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions
that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I
want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of
race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best
in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men
and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our
country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very
good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others
peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen
and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings
these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great
privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother
tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of
the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women
who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper
two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is
great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made
better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to
each of us. It’s a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer
with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that
work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the
chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give
something back to this country that has given our family so
much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an
obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to
something larger than yourself that you will realize your true
potential.
These are the things I want for you—to
grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements
beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who
will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same
chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have.
That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you
more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your
patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life
together in the White House.
Love, Dad
They are such a beautiful family and I support Barack Obama! - Me :}