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Hello #ChangeMakers!
Politics aside, we should all take a moment to celebrate the historic nomination of Hillary Clinton as the first woman ever to represent a major political party on its presidential ticket.
I had the privilege of attending the convention, an experience that moved me to tears on several occasions over the four days that I was there. But none more than the moment when Hillary Clinton walked out on the stage to accept her party’s nomination. As I watched her take in the moment, relish in it and soak it all in, I found myself unable to control the flow of tears. “Take it in,” I said out loud. “Drink it in.”
From my vantage point, having watched her suffer an unprecedented amount of negative coverage and attacks, having watched her pick herself back up after some bruising disappointments (universal healthcare in 1994, her primary loss in 2008 to name a couple) and having watched her fight with passion to break through a seemingly shatterproof ceiling, I couldn’t help feeling as she stood on that stage that that moment belonged to all of us. It belonged to every woman who has had to navigate obstacles unique to us as women. And who among us hasn’t, really? Her victory last night was a victory for women everywhere in this country, regardless of their political leanings. In that moment, I felt that anything was possible for us. For me, for my two daughters, for my baby grand-daughter, and for all of you. With enough resiliency and courage, anything is possible.
Perhaps the best part of the four day experience for me was the privilege of sharing it through the eyes of eighteen year old, Nadya Okamoto, last week’s highlighted #ChangeMaker. Having learned a bit about her, it probably comes as no surprise to you that she exercised the initiative to reach out to me last week and inquire about shadowing me during the convention. Witnessing her joy and emotion as she met women she had admired from afar and now had the opportunity to talk with, watching her wonderment at the majesty of the experience and seeing tears roll down her face as she drank in the monumental significance of the week’s events was an experience I will never, ever forget. Thank you, Nadya, for reminding me that no matter how many blows life has dealt us, there is still so much to marvel in.
I’ll close, #ChangeMakers, with one of the most inspiring things I heard Hillary say last night: “Standing here as my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has come,” she said. “Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. Happy for boys and men, too — because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit."
The sky's your only limit, #ChangeMakers. And my money's on you.
xo,
- Wendy
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