Women's March

Yesterday, my eight year old daughter and I joined over 150,000 people in Boston Common for the Women's March. It was in response to our new president, in search of achieving equality for all, and to step away from social media and talk one on one with each other.

We arrived rather late. My husband and two year old son dropped us off at Riverside Station at 9am where we stood in a slow moving line that flowed out past the bus station. We stood there for about forty-five minutes to an hour until they waived the fares. This allowed us to get onto a train shortly after.

The long, but entertaining train ride was packed together with others going to the March. We stood with a nice woman who was coming from Wellesley to meet her daughter and some friends in Boston. I lost my health insurance card at some point, only to hear some call my name when they found it. Other than that and having to turn people away who wanted to get on because it was too packed, it was a peaceful ride.

When we finally got off the train, the sun had come out to shine and we ran into the Common! We ran to the highest spot we could get to so we could see the crowds of people that seem to go on forever!

She made this sign the night before. It says "Equal Rights for.." then lists off different kinds of people including "Rich White Men". My favorite part was a small heart between the words Equal and Right that says "I love my life". 

Then we found our way into a mix of crowds where we waited for the March to begin. Speeches were made by the organizers, our Senators and Mayor. We were actually too far back to really hear what they were saying. We spent our time reading signs and shuffling around while people moved back and forth trying to find the perfect spot.

From the time we got in line at the train station until we finally entered the street to march, it had been nearly six hours. That's a long time for a kid to wait. There were times when I thought we should start walking back to the train, but we persisted and it was well worth the wait! As we got closer, the chants got louder and the bands were playing. A giant sunrise balloon was tossed through the crowd. We were both so excited to get onto the street!

She laid her sign amongst the others, but in the end decided to take it home with her. We sat back and watched the march from the sidelines for a while, then hopped back onto the train to meet my husband and son back at Riverside Station for 5pm. 

I was exhausted, but she was full of energy when we got home! We watched the news and saw the stage where the speakers spoke. I didn't even know there was a stage! What was really wild was to see all the sister marches from all over the world! I had a sister in law in DC, another in Buenos Aires! Friends in Boston, DC, and Portland, ME! 

It wasn't an easy task, for a parent anyway. There are details I have to leave out for an eight year old girl, but she knows that we should all be treated fairly. Name calling at school is wrong. Name calling for a President of the United States is an embarrassment. One day, she'll understand why it was so important that we were there and why we'll continue to go. And why we encourage others to go! I emphasize what I said in the beginning, that this was a way to step away from social media and look people in the eyes. Smile. Converse. Use your voice. 

Someone said that we became too comfortable, we weren't taking care of our country and now our country is sick. Now we have to nurse it back to health. By doing that, we have to educate and come together. After yesterday, I feel confident that we can do that. #whyimarch #womensmarch