diversity celebration starts with a cake

The cake was for my niece's birthday which coincidentally landed on this historic election day. A round layer cake called for a round design and that is indeedy what I did.
This election reflects the things I love so much about my country -- its diversity.

At this time I think about the time after I returned home after four months in Vietnam. My husband calls Vietnam my homeland. It is true I experienced such a sense of peace and kinship, awe and wonderment with this gem of the far east. But then I returned home. One of the first things I did after recovering from jet lag was go to church with my mother. I remember having a profound experience that filled me with an awe and reverence for what makes this country what it is, what makes us strong and what makes us beautiful. I wish I was in Grant Park in Chicago tonight because from what I see on the TV it would be a macro version of what I experienced in church that day. Caucasian, African American, Asian, Hispanic together happy, singing, welcoming. I cried that day because a microcosm of the world was all around me. Multi-racial, diverse, beautiful, variety. This is a great American achievement and a great moment. For me the "O" on this cake is for optimism. I feel optimistic. And like Jesse Jackson, I cried.