What an experience. I always knew that I would know the moment Mubarak stepped down. I don’t have a TV or radio. I didn’t need one. I was typing and all of the sudden I heard a guy running through the streets yelling ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is Greatest). Then it got louder, more people chimed in ‘Allahu akbar’, then people cheering, horns honking. I went out on the balcony to see people on the street, yelling and waving flags. It was already dark out. I could see the lights of the screens from their cell phones as everyone called their friends and loved ones to share the news. You could feel the joy, the relief. Something lifted, lightened. It has been a tense time these last 18 days. The pressure has been building since the 25^th of January. What a beautiful moment. The streets sounded like they do after a football match but the feeling was different.

The energy has been a bit heavy since last night when Mubarak gave a speech saying he would NOT step down. When it was announced that he would give a speech everyone thought he would step down. There had been more demonstrations arranged for this Friday after prayers, just like there have been for the past two weeks. Everyone thought he would step down avoiding that. He didn’t. People were shocked and disturbed. You could feel the heaviness and disappointment. His speech backfired. People were not intimidated. All it did was strengthen their resolve. More people turned out in Tahrir Square than ever before. My son went to the demonstration for awhile and then left saying there were so many people he couldn’t breathe.

 Wow! Amazing! Miraculous! Words cannot describe what I feel at this moment. We have witnessed something…unbelievable. That people just through sheer perseverance and resolve, without violence, without a leader, a collective mind moving towards a goal with only a sense of community and solidarity, that they could accomplish so much. Truly amazing!

 Illumination. The truth came out and everyone showed their best and worse faces. The word ‘transparency’ keeps coming up for me. I think we have become too connected, information is too accessible, to think we can hide anything in the shadows anymore. People will need to be accountable for their actions.

 There is still a long road ahead. This is only the beginning. But it is one huge step in our evolution. We now hold in our consciousness the knowing that it is possible for great change to occur with out violence and through collective effort. I ask that people continue to hold the intention for the best possible outcome as we continue this journey.