Tonight after giving my baby her bath, I was drying her off and whispering all the little nonsense things moms whisper to babies when they’re laying there, so sweet and clean, smiling and cooing back at you. “I love you more than the sun and the moon and the stars.” “I would climb the biggest mountain in the world for you.” “I will always protect you.” “I would walk 1,000 miles to protect you.”
And as I said that last one outloud, not even thinking about the words until I heard myself say them, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It hit me. That some women do this. That some women look their babies in the eye and tell them “I would walk 1,000 miles to protect you,” and then they are actually asked by a cruel world to make good on this promise. And they pick up their babies and walk. And walk. And walk. A thousand miles. They walk a thousand miles carrying their own baby, their own Ellie. A thousand miles, two thousand miles, more. To protect them. Like I know in my heart I would do too if I ever had to. If the cruel world ever landed on my own doorstep.
A thousand miles.
And when they reach what they thought would be their safe haven, after walking for weeks, months, my government, on my behalf, rips their baby out of their arms and refuses them refuge.
And I honestly had to sit down.
I am begging you to vote to make this stop.
I’m begging.
Thank you.
