I have to admit, I'm a little emotional this morning. I got a little choked up in the voting booth.

As some of you may know, I was once, at a very vulnerable time, not able to return to America from abroad.

I was in London, which is a wonderful place, but I wanted to come home and couldn't. Until that time in my life, I had not considered myself a patriotic American in any way. In fact, I scoffed at those who were "patriotic," since our country was so profoundly flawed and unjust and immoral, etc (I was in my 20s).

But during those six months when I was stranded abroad, I suddenly realized that I am an American and that I love being an American. My son Jack was born in London (which was the reason we were detained so long - he was premature), and I had to register his birth with the local authorities in order to obtain a birth certificate. So one day I went to the appropriate government building and started filling out the paper work. I filled in Jack's name, his parents' names, and other information. I think I wrote in the time and location of his birth. Then I had to write in his nationality and I remember my hand actually shaking as I wrote, "American."

Until that time I didn't have a sense of what a stroke of luck it was just to have been born an American citizen. You'll have to read the book if you want to find out more. Let's just say that when we landed in Boston with our new little American I was extremely emotional about being home, and to this day I get a little flipped out about traveling overseas. I really like it here.

So, these last weeks of the campaign I've been listening very carefully to both candidates and today I voted for the candidate that I think is the most patriotic. I didn't vote for the candidate who thinks that there's a "real" type of American that resides in certain geographical areas, but rejects those who choose to live a lifestyle that isn't in lockstep with his. I voted for the one who, over and over again in his speeches at rallies these past months, has sung the praises of this country and had a message of hope, not fear and divisiveness. I can't turn on the TV, because the lines at the polling places make me get all emotional and goose-bumpy. Today, one of my son's best friends was in the booth next to mine.

I'm happy and anxious. I feel it will be a long day.