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Remarks by President Biden, First Lady Biden, and Vice President Harris at White House Diwali Celebration
Remarks by President Biden, First Lady Biden, and Vice President Harris at White House Diwali Celebration,East Room 5:19 P.M. EDT THE FIRST LADY: Thank you, and welcome to Diwali at the White House. (Applause.) It’s wonderful to be here with so many

Remarks by President Biden, First Lady Biden, and Vice President Harris at White House Diwali Celebration

East Room

5:19 P.M. EDT

THE FIRST LADY: Thank you, and welcome to Diwali at the White House. (Applause.) It’s wonderful to be here with so many friends.

Why celebrate light on the darkest night when the moon is hardest to find? Because that’s when we need it most — when we realize that even the smallest flame can illuminate our path home, that the sweetest delicacies are made with love, that the most rewarding gifts are those we give to others, and that simple clay lamps, burning together, can outshine any moon.

All of us will face darkness at some point, but we are never alone. And as we chart our path toward the future, this community helps light our way forward, with courage and kindness, with persistence and faith, with love.

I’m grateful that, today, these diyas have guided you to this home — a home that belongs to all of you: the White House. (Applause.)

The Nobel Prize-winning poet Tagore once wrote: “The sky is flushed with the dawn and my path lies beautiful. Ask not what I have with me to take there. I start on my journey with empty hands and [an] expectant heart.”

Today, we come here with empty hands and expectant hearts, surrounded by each other’s light. And though at times we will travel through the darkness, we never walk alone. Our paths are bright and glorious as we shine together.

Now I am grateful to introduce a friend who has become a light to both Joe and to me.

Kamala, your — (applause) — your warmth, wisdom, and strength are a beacon to us all.

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