I was nesting when the last presidential election took place. I was a brand new mom and wary of navigating the world with a one month old baby in tow (there were germs out there, after all!), so in those early weeks Owen and I stuck close to home. On election day, however, I bundled up my bundle of joy, slipped on my most presentable pair of stretchy pants, packed up the diaper bag, and we braved the elements in the name of democracy.
Since I cast my ballot at the library across the street from my house, ours was a journey of about 37 steps, but it was still an important moment for me. I realized that I was not only capable of taking my child out into the big, scary world, but that I enjoyed including him in one of our country's most important processes. The outing was nothing more than a squinty, brightness-blur to my newborn, but I felt a real sense of accomplishment and proudly placed my "I voted" sticker on his stroller. For me, the first few weeks of motherhood were hazy and filled with emotional turbulence, but the simple act of taking my child to vote somehow made me feel like a good mom. It felt important.
I don't enjoy politics. I'm uncomfortable with conflict, and even watching people debate makes my stomach feel nervous and yucky. But having a child has made me care about the world in a different way, and that's probably because it's no longer my world. It's his. And I want his world to be the best world, so that's why I vote. And that's also why I will make sure my son continues to accompany me to the polls for as long as he'll let me take him. For now, I'll reward him for his trouble with a free sticker, but hopefully, when he's older, he'll find that the act of voting is its own reward.
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| Four years ago, the stroller got the sticker. This year, the remote controlled truck will wear it with pride. |
