If the button, pictured above, is any indication, my mom had been a Hillary supporter for a long time. Had she been physically able, I know she would have stuck around so she could cast her vote in November for Hillary Clinton. Proudly and without reservation. If she knew you, she would be disappointed if you didn't do the same.
I think my mom admired Hillary's stubbornness and ability to survive all that life threw at her. My mom was one of those women too--no matter what you had to endure, when morning came, you got up and went to work...again. My mom wanted to be a nurse, but life made other plans for her, just as life made other plans for Hillary Clinton. Too often, when we lose a job, fail to be promoted, or just are flat-out denied (because we're women, or not the right color, or are not strong enough, or just don't look right), we become bitter and give up on whatever dream or goal we have. It is so much easier to give up than to dig in and work harder. My mom did not have that luxury--she had children to feed, rent to pay, and medical bills. Hillary Clinton just decided not to take "no" for an answer. Hillary Clinton has a vision for a better world, and has decided the way to achieve her goals is by being president of the United States. My mom appreciated that.
My mom grew up in a world where men made the rules, men had all the jobs (oh yes, you could have a job, for pay, but many times that job or that pay increase was tied to how much access your boss had to your body--we call it sexual harassment or sexual assault, but my mom called it Tuesday at the car dealership). In her world, men had access to better education, and men controlled women's bodies (if you absolutely desperate, there were back alley abortions available, but those were dangerous and you could end up paying with your own life) and reproductive rights. In her lifetime, my mom hoped for a better world for her children and grandchildren, and she also saw great achievements for women (and men). She also witnessed the GOP begin to chip away at reproductive rights, and she lived long enough to hear a man, running for the highest office in our nation, refer to women as "pigs". I'm sure she felt like she was right back in the 1950's, and probably was afraid for her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. I wonder if she felt anger too, and I wonder if that would have made her even more determined to vote for Hillary Clinton for president? The alternative would have been unthinkable for her; possibly even a nightmare.
My mom had a lot of common sense; she was a pretty good judge of character, and embodied the Golden Rule. She was a good Christian; she walked the walk. My mom was not stupid, and after raising seven children, it was not easy to "pull the wool" over her eyes. After all that was said, and written, about Hillary Clinton, my mom was still willing to vote for her. My mom would never have voted for a liar or a cheat, a "murderer" or someone who broke the law. She would be appalled that someone who said NOT paying taxes "made him smart" wanted her to vote for him! She obeyed the law, paid her share, and expected others to do the same (Unless something was unjust. Then she was proud if you protested or wrote Letters to the Editor). And, she would also know, from experience, that some people would say, and do, anything to keep a woman from achieving great things. She knew there was nothing a woman couldn't do, if she was given the opportunity.
My mom also knew that big jobs get done when everyone works together (Oh my goodness, I remember those Saturdays when every room was cleaned and the laundry was done AND folded before anyone went anywhere!). She would never have trusted a man who said, "I will do it for you. I alone will make America great again." She would have known, no matter how successful he appeared to be, that he could not fulfill that promise. She would have seen his "true colors"; she would have seen a man who never did any charity work, that apparently never donated much money to others, and who therefore was not a good man. My mom once gave someone the coat she was wearing because, "They needed it." I know she would look at the GOP candidate and see a very selfish man. Indeed, that would have strengthened her commitment to Hillary Clinton, who has devoted her life to helping others.
I ask you to join me in honoring my mother in November. I ask you to join me in honoring all those women who have gone before us. I ask you to join me in voting for Hillary Clinton.
