January 5, 2005

On January 4, 1995, I stood in the House Chamber, surrounded by my family, and, for the first time, took the oath of office as a State Representative. Today, for the sixth time, I affirmed my allegiance to the Constitution of both the nation and the Commonwealth and assumed the responsibilities to both represent my constituents and help lead Massachusetts.

I’ve not yet been able to recite the oath of office without a huge lump in my throat. I am moved and honored by the awesome responsibilities placed on me. I am also mindful that I am assuming a place in the history that dates back to our founding fathers and mothers and that I am but a temporary custodian for the community our children and grandchildren will inherit to safeguard and govern, and, in turn, pass on to those after them.

It is hard to escape a sense of this unspoken chain in the historic House Chamber.

The challenge that are all about us demand a great deal of each of us. And they require that we remember, whatever our differences, that we’re all in this together. On this day, at the beginning of a new term, I’m reminded that that’s what it means to be a Commonwealth.

Perhaps, in the next two years, you’ll visit the State House and let me escort you onto the floor of the House. I’d welcome that. And I’d not be surprised if you, too, felt a part of our grand experiment in democracy and, perhaps, even a lump in your throat as well.