“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” – Unknown

The first week of the new Administration has been dominated by scenes of Women’s Marches across the country and around the globe. Many observers and participants are calling this renewed activism “the resistance.”  The focus is on intolerance, misogyny, demagoguery, fear, hate, oppression – unfortunately, this list continues.

Before I became a parent, admittedly, I did not pay much attention to politics. I was informed, but barely. I thought politics to be more of a topic of avoidance. We all know the rule, right? If you want to stay, friends do not discuss religion or politics. Once I became a mother, this all changed. The artist Sarah Walker said, “Becoming a mother is like discovering the existence of a strange new room in a house where you already lived.”   This is precisely how I now feel about the correlation between parenthood and government.

Regardless of your position, we, as a society, must remember our children are listening and watching. Our actions are molding this next generation. It is up to us and the examples we set for how they approach issues. We must always be aware of how we are delivering our messages. With respect. With strength. With peace. Our children will hear our message, so we must deliver it without hate and vitriol. We must present it with regard and empathy for those who may try to shout us down though who may be fighting to be heard in a world that is passing them by.

Our children will hear our message, so we must show them that fact and reason will empower us to drive change but that condescension and disdain will reap enemies and not converts. We must deliver our message with respect for our opponents, or we will remain divided and never be heard.

Our children will hear our message, so we must show them that perseverance comes from persistence. We must deliver our message daily until we see the change our children deserve. Only then will our children have the tools and the strength to drive the change their children will deserve and so on.