Dear President Obama,

I needed to just take a moment to thank you before your term is truly over.  I, along with many others, wish you didn’t have to go.  I feel like this is one of the world’s worst break ups – where no matter how much I beg and cling to your leg sobbing uncontrollably, you are still going to move on.  You have to – I know. I just wish the one following in your position has an ounce of your greatness.

You have set a high bar for us all to live up to. You have shown unbelievably humility and strength in what I cannot imagine were an easy eight years. You had walls built up all around you as Republicans played their childish games, hating anything you came up with just because it was attached to you in some way.  I don’t know why they disliked (or dislike) you so much. Regardless of that, you were the people’s president, and you will always be.  We chose you. And it pained me that they couldn’t accept that and work together like grown-ups. My 5th grade students show more sense than Congress did at times.

During your term, you were compassionate. You spoke intelligently, and from the heart. You made us laugh. You cried with us. I don’t have any clue of what’s to come but I know that it won’t be what we’ve been blessed with for the last eight years.  You chose an amazing woman to be your partner in life and together raised two beautiful young women. You go, Barry!

As I mentioned, I am a teacher of 10 year old minds.  This is has been a very challenging time to teach as the children had so many questions, concerns, and fears, and for once in my career, I had no answers for them.  The day after the election I was numb to the results and told the kids that we just weren’t going to talk politics that day.  As a teacher, I can’t let my feelings shadow their thinking. I have to be objective to help them make decisions for themselves. But between us, I’m dreading this guy coming in.  I certainly didn’t pick him. I don’t know what the people were thinking as he spoke such ignorant words of hate and disgust.  I’m really nervous about what’s to come in the days and years ahead for all of us.

So, it’s time for me to let you go.  Again, thank you for all those warm, fuzzy feelings, the comfort, the hope.  Best wishes to you all on the other side!