Lucky.

Dear Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton-

I woke up this morning and realized that today is Election Day.  I needed to vote.  I had to vote.  I had to remember to vote.  So, I do what I always do when its morning and something important needs doing:  I sing.  No, I'm not insane.  Its just that sometimes there are so many things to do that I make up sing-songs to remind myself of the most important tasks.  This memory tool can't possibly be unique to me--I'm sure psychologists and sociologists have studied the matter.  In any case, the point is that today being Election Day, I began singing the tune of one of my favorites songs from one of my favorite childhood movies, Mary Poppins. 

Votes for Women!

Votes for women, step in time,

Votes for women, step in time,

Votes for Women!

I sang that verse all the way to my designated polling location.  While I waited in line to vote, I read the lyrics of the other Mary Poppins songs on my iPhone.  Although "Sister Suffragette" wasn't my favorite song when I was a kid, it might be my favorite today:

We're clearly soldiers in petticoats
And dauntless crusaders for woman's votes
Though we adore men individually
We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!

Cast off the shackles of yesterday!
Shoulder to shoulder into the fray!
Our daughters' daughters will adore us
And they'll sign in grateful chorus
"Well done, Sister Suffragette!" 

After I submitted my ballot, I walked out of the poll feeling outrageously, blissfully lucky.  Sometimes I forget that voting euphoria, but it happened again today and I remembered that I'd felt this way before.  It's a subtle transition I go through every Election Day.  My stream of consciousness goes something like this:  I need to vote . . . I have to vote . . . Self, don't forget to vote! . . . I'm going to vote . . . I'm voting . . . I GET TO VOTE . . . I'm a lucky girl.  

I am lucky.  As you know, women living in the United States were granted the right to vote in 1920. That means today is only the twenty-fourth time American women have voted for president.  That's not very many presidential elections.  I'm so glad that I live in a time and a place where I have the right to vote.  And today, I'm particularly glad that you lived here too, before me.  I know achieving suffrage for women couldn't have been easy.  I'm sure each of you (and many others) made significant personal sacrifices.  But thank you . . and just in case no one's ever said this to you before, "Well Done Sisters Suffragette!" 

Sincerely,

SEE