Thank you, Dr. King

I feel safe in writing that today's observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday means more this year than it has in the past.

It's more than a day off from school or work, more than a day to lounge around the house, vegg out and watch T.V. It's a day to reflect both the sacrifices of the past and the opportunities of the future. 

Tomorrow, when President-Elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as the nation's 44th president and America's first black president, would not have been possible without the struggles of Dr. King and the rest of the soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement. 

It's amazing to think that just 40 years ago, Obama would have had to drink from a "Colored Only" water fountain, would have had to sit in the back of the bus and probably would have been turned away from the voting both.

But because people wanted change, not just on Nov. 4, but over time, I was able to walk in a voting booth without being harassed or threatened and vote for a black man. It literally warms my heart.

While America still has work to do to make sure everyone has equal opportunity, I cannot help but think that Dr. King is sitting in Heaven smiling because his dream has been achieved.

Thank you, Dr. King.