by K. Sayford-Wilson

Created on: April 29, 2008

I hadn't felt that Hillary Clinton could relate to women like me - a freelance print and website designer, writer, mother of two, a homemaker and advocate for families of special needs children - but I voted for her because of who she does represent, and what she has come to symbolize for me.

Hillary represents my oldest daughter, who is at the age of "Girls Rule! Boys Drool!" and shouting matches at recess between the boys and the girls - a schoolyard version of national election debate forums. To my oldest daughter, Hillary represents power, invincibility, and a belief that anything is possible for women in a world of male-dominated religions, economic uncertainty and inequality of pay and opportunity. A woman in the White House would solve all of these problems, in her mind - and might even allow her freelancing mother to get a better paying job without jeopardizing the special needs of her little sister.

Hillary represents my 62 year old aunt, taking care of my bedbound grandmother in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease, and on hospice at 93 years of age. My aunt never married and has no descendants but me to pass the family traditions to, and she is looking at her future in light of her present role of primary caregiving, wondering what is to become of her "golden years." My grandmother was born just a few years before women "got the vote," and while my grandmother came from an era where it wasn't proper for a woman to hold a position of power, I know there are many others who have dreamed of a woman's ability to be president, with the suffragists' victory less than a century old. And there many who were alive when "women got the vote" who would have loved to vote for Hillary, but are no longer able to, for health or other reasons.

Recently, I've recognized that Hillary is a fighter. To borrow from the last "Rocky" movie, I've learned that the older we get, the more endurance and stamina we develop to survive the tough battles and persevere, regardless of what life throws at us. Sure, some of us get knocked down and don't get back up again - but if we've been hit enough times and learned how to stand up again, we can also learn to roll with the punches and keep moving forward. While Hillary may not represent my way of life, she has earned my respect as a hard-won fighter and someone tough enough to go the distance even when the odds are stacked against her. And, truth be told, she does know how to play the "Washington game" - and sometimes in order to make new rules, you have to play by the old rules and effect change from inside the system. I feel that she is better equipped to play the game while changing the rules than Barack Obama is.

Fifteen years ago, organizations such as Emily's List spoke of increasing the number of women elected to higher office, with a goal of one day having a woman president - that seemed like a far off dream at the time, even to me. Fifteen years since, my priorities of a high-powered career and a position of power in business have been tempered by the more mundane but very fulfilling work of motherhood, homemaking, writing and advocacy - but I do see the dreams and needs of families and women of all ages (maybe even mine) reflected in Hillary's candidacy.

Women are cunning, resourceful, tenacious and creative when dealing with issues that matter to them personally. I hope that Hillary will have enough global vision to fight for all middle class families, and not only focus on those who share her background. I also feel that Hillary can go the distance when it really matters, and can handle the intricacies of global politics, along with the politics of budgeting at the kitchen table of a middle class family like mine.

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