Perhaps it is because I’m older. 

Perhaps it is because I have four daughters. 

Perhaps it is because we’ve been living through a pandemic. 

Perhaps it is because I’ve been homeschooling this year. 

But today, I felt like I took my first breath in a long time.  

I’ve rewatched Amanda Gorman’s poem more times than I can count, nearly memorizing every verse. 

And each time I am refilled with a sense of hope I hadn’t even realized I’d lost until it was refilled. 

The term “Presidential” regained the meaning I’d always acquainted it with: goodness, leadership, honorability.  

A new era for my daughters that I can be proud to raise them within.  

Yes, it feels good to breathe again.