Photo of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial. My daughter was next to me when I took it.
I have never written a diary here; I comment from time to time on stories about which I am passionate, but I mostly stay on the sidelines — there are so many amazingly beautiful voices here, and I really like to sit back and listen, absorb and yes, get fired up. I love Daily Kos, I have loved it for many years, and I thought this was the time to write something and thank DK for inspiring me to post something on my Facebook page about this election.
My oldest daughter, A, is nearly 6 years old, and when she was 3 1/2, she became extremely interested in the U.S. Presidents. My mother had showed her an app called “Presidents v. Aliens” where she basically could battle aliens by winning Presidential trivia, and she was just tickled by it. Since then, she’s had a passion for learning about everyone from Chester A. Arthur to William Howard Taft. It’s been an interesting lesson for me and my husband as to how to help her learn Presidential history in a real and meaningful way, but also distill it in manner that she understands. The same goes for our discussion about this election, and how to have her learn about Donald Trump in a safe yet realistic space; given his true ugliness, we walk a fine line - we want her to understand, but not be scared.
On the train ride into NYC for work, I noticed that one year ago on October 11, there was a photograph of me and my oldest daughter. That isn’t so unusual — I post plenty of her and my youngest — but where we were standing, was. It moved me to write the following (alongside a share of the original photograph — not so different from my photograph here, but with the two of us in it) —
“One year ago today. A, [my husband] and I were at the top of the Lincoln Memorial, with the American flags of the Washington Monument in full view. A's love for the American Presidents prompted her desire to travel to Washington D.C., and she saw everything from Martha Washington's shoes at Mt. Vernon to JFK's portrait hanging in the White House. She loved every minute, and there was no greater joy than my seeing her so moved.
We talked about what it meant to be the President of the United States of America, and how important of a job it was. We talked about the greatness of some Presidents, and, yes, how some Presidents did some very not nice things.
The trip filled me with so much hope and promise--that despite our challenges, there are people (yes, politicians) who want to move this wonderful country forward rather than take us 1,000 steps back.
In less than a month, every voter in this country has a choice. Not only is my vote to help prevent the destruction of our democracy and the obliteration of our national values, but my vote is to elect an exceedingly qualified individual who will lift us all up, rather than knocking us down. This is certainly the most important election of my lifetime, and my daughters' lifetime. I am doing it for them, and maybe one day, their daughters. I am proud to say that #werewithher”
I know my post didn’t move mountains, but this election cycle has really moved me. And it’s moved so many others. I received many “loves” from people I haven’t spoken with in years, as well as some really nice comments. No negativity. I was blown away. As my daughter is starting to understand, we are on the right side of history at this moment, and I want to memorialize that, not only for her, but her daughters and generations to come. The more we speak out and use our voice, the better. Thank you for giving me the courage to speak my mind.
