Elections have always been very important to me.
They were important to me when I was in elementary school and the older kids staged a mock Presidential race.
(Oh, and in case you were wondering, the cute, older boy who played Bill Clinton? Yeah, that would be my husband. )
They were important to me in middle school, when I ran (albeit unopposed) for Secretary of my beloved Theater Club.
They were really important to me in high school, when I spent weeks agonizing over hanging chads.
They were really really important to me in college, when I voted for the first time,
only to end up crying myself to sleep, after drowning my sorrows in Bella Sicilia garlic knots and old reruns of Who’s the Boss.
They were more important to me than ever, when, in 2008, I got to go to the polls with my mom and sister, and vote for a change we believed n.
However, elections have never before been as important to me as they are now.
Now, I no longer vote for myself;
I no longer vote for the issues of today.
I can’t.
Now, I have much bigger things to worry about,
to care about,
even though those big things happen to come in a very small,
babyish package.
Now elections determine the world that my daughter will grow up in,
and the laws that will govern her life.
So, today, when I brought my daughter with me to the polls,
and as she helped me to press the buttons,
I said a little prayer.
I prayed that our leaders will bring us into a peaceful tomorrow,
and that they will take care of our broken world,
so that she can grow up in a place
where she feels that she can be exactly who she is,
and does not have to apologize to anybody,
and most especially not to her elected officials,
for anything.
That’s why I voted.
And, I really, truly hope that you did too.
Because we may not believe in the same things,
but I’m sure that we can all agree on the promise of peace we wish to see for our children,
and our children’s children,
so that maybe we won’t have to spend so much time Imagining
and we can just enjoy living.
Happy Election night, and may the best dreamer, and lover, and champion of hope and peace and liberty and justice and truth win.