Next Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President. On this
historic occasion, PARADE asked the President-elect, who is also a devoted
family man, to get personal and tell us what he wants for his children.
Here, he shares his letter to them.



Dear Malia and Sasha,



I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the
campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all
sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have.
But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that
as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all
the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two
years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to
take our family on this journey.



When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I'd make
my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then
the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and
those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And
suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I
soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And
I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to
ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in
yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I
want for you and for every child in this nation.



I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential-schools
that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder
about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to
college-even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good
jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that
let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.



I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see
new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet
cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach
beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us
from seeing the best in each other.



Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other
dangerous situations to protect our country-but when we do, I want to make
sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle
our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible
to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand
that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free-that with
the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great
responsibility.



That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age,
reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling
me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed
those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.



She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect
but because it can always be made better-and that the unfinished work of
perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our
children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America
should be.



I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see
and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you
have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given
our family so much-although you do have that obligation.  But because you
have an obligation to yourself.  Because it is only when you hitch your
wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true
potential.



These are the things I want for you-to grow up in a world with no limits on
your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into
compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want
every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive
that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great
adventure.



I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I
am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we
prepare to start our new life together in the White House.



Love, Dad

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the
other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more
effective and permanent then the one derived from fear of punishment. -
Mahatma Gandhi