Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a very moving speech yesterday, and a gala for the Children’s Defense Fund. She was honored by her longtime mentor, Marian Edelman Wright.
She recalls things about her childhood, and she talked about how disappointed she was with the election results. She was tearful, and her voice was shaking.
It will be hard for people to hate on her after this beautiful speech, but I’m sure many will still not like her.
One particularly moving part was when she talked about her mother:
“I draw from another person who influenced my life, and still does every day. My mother. I’ve talked about her difficult childhood. She was abandoned by her parents when she was just eight years old. They put her on a train to California all by herself in charge of her little sister who was three years younger. She ended up in California where she was mistreated by her grandparents and ended up on her own working as a house maid. She beat the odds. She found a way to offer me the boundless love and support she never received herself. I think about her every day. And sometimes I think about her on that train.
I wish I could walk down the aisle and find the little wooden seats where she sat holding tight to her younger sister all alone and terrified. She doesn’t yet know how much more she will have to face and even suffer. She doesn’t yet know she will find the strength to escape that suffering. That’s still years off. Her whole future is unknown, as it is for all of us, as she stares out at the vast country moving past her.
And I dream of going up to her, and sitting next to her and taking her in my arms and saying ‘Look. Look at me. And listen. You will survive. You will have a family of your own. Three children. And as hard as it might be to imagine your daughter will grow up to be a United States senator, represent our country as secretary of state, and win more than 62 million votes for president of the United States.”
Even though she was upset about losing the election, she was still optimistic. She said this wasn’t easy for her, and her tears and tone of voice make that more than obvious. This is the first speech she gave since the election.
In addition to her optimism, Clinton urged Americans to stay engaged in politics.
We need to work together to get through this.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot.
