My baby sister and I went out exploring one day in the nearby woods when we were little. Mill Valley hillsides are covered with thickets of poison oak, and we were too young — or too careless — to appreciate its dangers. We soon had horrid rashes, but Kathy in particular suffered so badly her swollen eyes were all but glued shut and she had to get medical treatment. This morning I feared similar eye socket puffiness, as I sobbed so hard during various moments of Biden’s inauguration yesterday I feared my neighbors would knock on my door to see if I was OK. I didn’t quite understand the fierceness of my weeping and at first thought it was because I am in a time of grief. I’m sure that was a factor, but more was going on (and that’s my Rachel-Maddow-style-where-the-hell-is-she-going-with-this intro).

I’m really good in a crisis. I don’t panic and I meet the situation with a clear head. Then, after things have become calmer, I fall apart and feel all the emotions of the difficult moment. I think the relief of having Trump gone was the reason for my strong emotion as I got a better sense of what so many of us have been feeling for the four years of the hellish Trump administration when we felt assaulted daily with blatant white supremacy, tens of thousands of lies, unapologetic misogyny, careless incompetence, greed and corruption. Don’t need to remind anyone of what it’s been like and yes I am absolutely and without apology stating my views of the shocking horrors that came with pumpkinhead’s administration. We’ve been enduring it for four very long and trying years, and now Biden, a grown-up who gives a damn, is in the White House. And the feelings of reprieve washed over me and I wept.

And my peepers are mostly working today. Swelling not too bad. I feel like a wrung out dishrag but I’m fine with that. Congratulations, America. You did the right thing and this is a huge moment. We’re a bit shaky, but we’ll keep bumping along. Good luck Mr President and Madam Vice President. You’ve got this. [I worked on this painting yesterday when I wasn’t going through boxes of Kleenex.]

7″ x 10″ watercolor, pen, acrylic ink on paper = $90