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* A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2016*

Matteo and Lilah: Papa and I took you to the courthouse this week to teach you about American democracy.  You watched as we put our ballots into a locked metal box attended by two volunteers.  As we dropped the hopes for our country into that little square box, I felt nervous excitement for the future you both might have.  When I was in college, my friend and I were in Eastern Oregon for the weekend.  When we heard that Hillary Clinton would be speaking at our college, we drove all night to make it back to campus in time to see her.  The car broke down somewhere near Sisters, around sunrise, and the waitress of an all-night diner had to call her sleeping husband to come jump the battery.  Despite the obstacles, we did make it back in time for Hillary's speech.  I don't know if it was the anticipation created by that dramatic road trip, but it turned out to be one of the most powerful and inspiring rallies I have ever attended.  There was something about Hillary's presence and the power of her convictions that spoke to me very deeply.  In that moment, I trusted her with the future of women in America.  Now, almost twenty years later, I am trusting in her again.  I believe that she will work to make a country that you can be proud of, and that she will be the kind of leader that you can look up to.  I wish this for you, my children.