It’s the last week Obama’s presidency. And it’s been a tough one. From Mrs. Obama’s last speech, to the Vice President receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, to the letter to the first daughters to the President’s Farewell Address. To quote a favorite song in the O’Brien house, “How lucky we are to be alive right now.”

And I do feel lucky that our kids’ childhood was filled with so much progress and so much history. We did our best as it was unfolding to show them and talk to them about it. As they get older it is our hope they do not forget.

The tributes and #ThanksObama messages have been heartwarming and a reminder of all the little ways and big ways things have changed in the last eight years.

The other night/day I found myself awake at 3am. When the kids were first born this was quite common and I became very fond of watching World New Now (also called insomniac news). It’s a fun, looser newscast that often rotates anchors. On this particular day, Gio Benitez was co-anchoring. During an entertainment segment there was a story about popular places tagged on Instagram. Gio has quite a following (I will admit to being one of thousands). He and his female co-anchor both showed pictures comparing stories of places on the list with pictures of themselves with their husbands. It was a simple mention, a simple conversation. But it showed how far we have come that on a national network news program love is love.

Obama campaigned using the word Change. So much has changed in ways big and small for the better. And we hope that it will not be undone.

Yes we did, yes we can.