Although not much prone to welling up easily, I have wondered what on Earth it was about this Democratic convention that has had me repeatedly reaching for the Kleenex box.  I had not even watched that much of it, yet even during the brief segments I witnessed, I caught glimpses of tears betraying deep emotions surfacing up to the tearducts of delegates, prominent politicians, and other participants of this event.  There also seemed to be a sense of disbelief, a pinch me because I must be dreaming this is really happening attitude, throughout the Pepsi Center. 

Obviously, the sense of reconciliation after a bitterly divisive primary is one important reason for this phenomenon.  The cameras have not spared us from any of Michelle Obama's unguarded facial expressions, and the drama for the rest of the world as she and all of us witnessed the Clintons coming through for the party and channeling their political genius with no holds barred must have opened up a stream of emotions.  Art does make me tear up, whether it is a Beethoven symphony or the Clintons at their best, and I can now only feel love toward them in spite of the rancor of the past few months.

Likewise, the sight of the globally spanning Obama family leaves few of us untouched as the multiple generations of Asian, African and Euro-American faces take the spotlight, making everyone realize that this family's presence in the White House will be an unprecedented symbol of unity of people from so many backgrounds.  Thus, as Maya Soetoro-Ng gave her brief and touching speech, a young Asian woman in the crowd was caught by the camera shedding a tear, and we all, in our heart of hearts, can understand the joy behind it.

Fortunately, I missed the Ted Kennedy appearance.  It would have been too much.  I however, like most, could not and did not miss Obama's acceptance speech.  It was an evening during which the camera caught face after face filled with emotion and shedding tears of joy with a frequency that I never before in my life have witnessed.

Perhaps others here at this forum could add to these impressions for they certainly are beyond the capacity of a single person to explain.