A very moving morning

It's taken me a few hours to really absorb how momentuous last night was. I was so speechless when I turned on the tee-vee at quarter to five this morning that I couldn't properly live-blog.

So yes, I was profoundly moved. But it wasn't about Obama. It was the faces in the enormous crowds, the relief and joy they reflected. Over the past few years, I have come to know some wonderful people there. And have come to respect their determination, understand their frustrations, and admire how hard they worked to help yesterday become reality. And those people are my heros and heroines. Seeing the joy moved me to tears, and they just kept rolling down my face, not crying, just tears of happiness for them.

Even more astounding is the tenor of the European media. 'America has found itself again.' Reflecting a wish to believe in the America they were taught to believe in, the 'good' one. A ton of stones dropped from my heart. A weight I hadn't realised I had been carrying around with me for so long.

I am so proud of, and admire all the wonderful people who made it possible to turn the rudder around. Let us hope that the new direction will be a sensible one that we all want.