A thank you letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama,

As the 2016 general election comes closer, I’ve been thinking a lot about you and the effect you’ve had on this country, and me in particular.

I remember your campaign in 2008 when I was 13 years old. I was in 8th grade, and I was just beginning to develop my beliefs and what I cared about and felt was right; your campaign and speeches contributed a lot to that.

I remember my Social Studies teacher had a class debate one day between you and John McCain. We sat on opposite sides of the room and debated each other based on the campaign. At that point, it was pretty normal for an 8th grader to not have strong political beliefs; most kids seemed to repeat whatever they heard from their parents.

But I went straight to the Obama side ready to defend. My parents didn’t discuss politics, at least not in front of me. Everything I said and everything I believed came from me – and from you. Thank you, President Obama, for guiding me to what is right and what the responsibilities of our government are.

I was interested in the election, but I was still instructed to go to bed the night of the results instead of staying up to watch who won. My dad woke me the morning after and said “Obama won.” I felt a rush of happiness and relief wash over me. I knew you would lead the country in the right direction in those 4 years and I was excited to watch you do it.

I was 17 years old and a senior in high school during your reelection, extremely disappointed that I missed voting for you by only four months. At this point, I had studied government in school and fully understood what it meant to be a Democrat. I believed in you and your platform even more than I did in 2008. Thank you, President Obama, for creating an environment that fostered my interest in politics. I went on to become a Political Science major in college the following year.

Thank you for caring so deeply for our country and implementing change that has helped everyone for the better. People may not realize your true impact – that may not come to fruition for decades. But I see it on the smallest scale. I no longer have to pay for contraceptive pills, which because of you, I have realized it is a basic form of medication that has enormous benefits.

Thank you for never wavering on what you knew was right. You’ve faced one of the most conservative Congresses in history, and you were able to compromise with Republicans to get done what you believed in. Sometimes I think people measure your success on too high of a standard. You accomplished an extraordinary amount given the disparity in ideologies in the current government. And I’ve never doubted that everything you’ve done, you’ve done for the good of this country.

Thank you for never cracking under the pressure when your impact, policy, and birthplace were questioned. You remained a strong figure for our country, even though you were attacked on unprecedented levels. Thank you for teaching us that everyone has an important voice in this country, and that that voice can make a difference. Your campaign was historic and the energy of positivity and change were clear to see and feel. A record number of people turned out to vote – to vote for you.

Thank you, Mr. President, for everything you have done for every individual person in this country, and so many others.

You will be missed.

@brythomps