I'm so happy! Yes! I'm so happy!

That's a refrain from a church song my first boss, an African-American woman, taught me. I've been singing it since last night.

All yesterday felt like Christmas morning, the part before dawn when I'd wait at the top of the second floor steps. At breakfast, my parents would wake up and tell me it was OK to go downstairs, but until then I'd wait impatiently and think of the joy to come, but not really be able to see it yet.

Yesterday at 10 p.m., I felt that joy again, and it was just like Christmas. The Svendlor household shed a tear or two. Yes, we are very, very happy today.