I know this is a wine blog but it’s also a place I like to write about things that matter to me, move me, or in someway connect to my life. So much has gone on since the election results first came pouring in on November 3rd that is been exciting to watch. In my small corner of the world, I am immensely happy about the outcome of the elections and I have received so many calls, texts, and messages from friends abroad who are thrilled by this news and believe that we are going to get back on track to being the nation that they looked up to, maybe not for everything but certainly for our soft power and welcoming spirit, which hopefully are also still part of our DNA.

Another part of our DNA though is much darker and no place more than Mississippi has conjured that in my mind, racism. My grandfather was friendly with Robert Goodman whose son Andrew was one of the three civil rights activists murdered in June of 1964. My Uncle was best friends with his Uncle William “Billy” Goodman. The stories of the murder depicted in the movie “Mississippi Burning” have always been seared in my memory and in our family discussions. It is wonderful to see that Mississippi has elected a Black Senator for the first time since Reconstruction, Scott Colom.

This is not to say that electing one man changes our past but it gives me hope for our future, along with all the races won by women, women of color particularly in the south, and the first Native American Governor in New Mexico, to not mention the races in Texas. So much to be thankful for as we approach my favorite holiday.

While not all Americans are celebrating these wins, hopefully enough of the good in everyone will come out during this holiday season and our nation will be less divided and move forward together. It’s a hope, a wish, an augurio as they say in Italian. I will be raising many a glass to that idea in the coming weeks.

While my activist Dad is not here to celebrate with me in person, I know he is sharing in this moment from his perch.