Support your partner’s aspirations and follow their path, even if it leads you away from the dreams you’ve cultivated. Take on their last name to ensure they gain the respect and authority they deserve in your community. Change your hairstyle to fit societal expectations. Embrace makeup, forgo your glasses, and slip into a dress.
Then, dedicate the next two decades or so to being in their shadow, nurturing and encouraging them as they chase their ambitions. Make it your mission to help them achieve even the most audacious dreams.
Does this sound familiar? It’s the story many women, including our mothers, were taught to live. For some, these expectations still resonate loudly; for all of us, they linger in the background of our experiences as women. This narrative is also Hillary Clinton’s journey.
Picture being a female law student at Yale in the early 1970s, having just a few months earlier delivered a groundbreaking commencement speech at Wellesley College. By that time, Hillary had already canvassed low-income neighborhoods to combat voter fraud, campaigned for a rising Republican presidential hopeful, and even met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Yet, instead of pursuing the extraordinary path laid out before her—a path few women could even envision—Hillary Clinton committed her prime years to her husband’s career and to raising their daughter.
Speaking of that daughter, Charlotte Clinton is someone every parent should aspire to raise. She graduated from Stanford University, holds master’s degrees from Oxford and Columbia, and even earned a Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford. As a working mother of two young children, Charlotte embodies kindness and a commitment to service.
I’m over here striving to find the strength and wisdom to nurture a purposeful young woman in the age of social media, while Hillary managed to do it under the glaring spotlight of the White House. That’s who Hillary was before some turned against her. That’s still who she is, despite the layers of public scrutiny and a high-profile career.
This rich history—alongside her notable achievements, including serving as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State—has led to her being recognized by Gallup as the “most admired woman in the world” a staggering 20 times, and for the past 14 years consecutively. For all those years, people acknowledged the significant sacrifices she made and the vast contributions she offered to families and communities around the globe. Even if they didn’t always agree with her, respect was undeniable.
But then, when Hillary dared to declare her ambition to pursue her own dreams—the presidency—her popularity took a nosedive to the lowest levels ever recorded for a Democratic candidate. This didn’t happen by chance; it wasn’t just a side effect of a poorly handled email controversy or a foreign policy crisis. No, it was about something deeper.
For months, opponents have questioned her “stamina” for the presidency. Just this week, when Hillary revealed she had walking pneumonia, the response was a chorus of “I told you so,” rather than a round of applause for her determination to fulfill her duties despite being ill.
That’s what we do, right? When faced with challenges, we push through. In the ’90s, when her healthcare initiative faced setbacks, she didn’t retreat into the background where first ladies were expected to stay. Instead, she faced the disappointment head-on and channeled that into creating the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring no mother in America would feel helpless when their child needed medical care. This monumental program symbolizes resilience rising from failure.
I don’t know about you, but when I experience setbacks, I often retreat with ice cream and self-pity. Not Hillary.
In recent months, some have suggested we should stick to lighter topics and avoid politics. But here’s the truth: you should support whom you choose. You should believe what you wish. However, I would be remiss if we continued to portray a narrative of empowerment without recognizing how this journey has shaped our perception of Hillary Clinton.
Today, I’m standing by the principles of empowerment and resilience.
Regardless of your choice on election day, remember to embrace positivity.
For more insights, check out our other blog post on home insemination here.
In summary, Hillary Clinton’s journey reflects the struggle and triumph many women experience. She has persisted through challenges, advocating for change and inspiring future generations, showcasing that pursuing one’s dreams is not only possible but necessary.