Like ripples upon the water, one life can touch and affect so many other lives. And every once in awhile, a leader comes along who is truly special, and who reaches across the spectrum to touch and inspire hearts and lives of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life. I can testify from a lifetime touched by her work, service, vision, and compassion, that Hillary Clinton is just such a leader.
Every now and then, someone crosses our path and our life-experience, who is truly the definition of the word "special". Someone whose strength, kindness, generosity, heart, courage, and compassion reaches out and touches our heart and life in an unforgettable way. Someone who makes a difference every day in ways big and small and who leaves behind an imprint of goodness that never fades. This has been my personal experience of the way that Hillary Clinton has impacted my life since I was a child.
I was 10 years old and living in Arkansas, when President Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. I interviewed President (then Governor) Clinton in Little Rock, in 1991, when I was 10 years old, for a community newspaper that I had started in my hometown; the proceeds from the sale of the newspaper went to the local children's home. President Clinton was exceedingly kind and gracious to me, and nearly 25 years later, that day is still one of my most cherished memories. As a child in Arkansas, I also developed a tremendous love and respect for our First Lady, Hillary Clinton. I can still recall seeing news clips on television of Hillary visiting schools and communities across our state in an effort to improve education and health care, to help children in a myriad of ways, and to aid and lift up those who were struggling. My own young life was helped and blessed by the impactful difference she made. I received medical care at the Arkansas Children's Hospital, (through a new program and treatment center for my illness), which was made possible because of the work that Hillary did, as First Lady of Arkansas, to aid and grow the capacities of the children's hospital.
Today, as I devote my heart to advocacy and humanitarian efforts to help orphans around the world, my life continues to be blessed and impacted by Hillary's lifetime of work, advocating and fighting for equality and freedom for women and girls around the world, which has directly impacted and improved the lives of young girls at my three special orphanages in Africa. Hillary's brave and visionary efforts have helped to create a society where these children are valued, respected, loved, and appreciated, and aided as they grow into young women who can become leaders and make a difference in their communities.
I have also been the recipient of Hillary's profound kindness on a personal level. In 2008, after I wrote a number of articles and essays supporting her campaign for the presidency, she sent me an exceedingly kind and gracious letter of thanks, which meant the world to me, as her letter arrived a few days after a dear friend of mine had passed away, and it brought great comfort, hope, and encouragement to me, which I dearly needed...and which I shall never forget. It also spoke volumes to me about Hillary's character and the inherent goodness and compassion that is at the core of who she is as a human being. At a time of disappointment and difficulty for her, when her 2008 presidential campaign came to an end, rather thinking of herself, she was thinking of those who had worked hard on her behalf during the campaign. And she took the time and effort to send personal, gracious, appreciative, hand-signed messages of gratitude, like the one she sent to me. It has been said that one of the truest measures of someone's character is how they treat those who can't do anything to buffer, help, or promote them. Well I certainly was not anyone of importance, fame, or fortune, and I was not in any position to do anything to help her, yet she still took the time and made the effort, with profound graciousness and thoughtfulness, to send a personal letter simply to say "thank you". A small and simple thing? Yes. But in truth, a grand and beautiful thing.
Throughout my life, through times of tragedy, illness, and struggle, I have drawn strength from Hillary, and her life, faith, example, and leadership. I have always had the highest respect for her and I have always held her in the greatest esteem. She has been, is, and always will be, a tremendous inspiration to me.
To those who have passed personal judgment on a woman who has never even graced their path, whom they've formed opinions on through perceptions set forth by television commentators or political spin people in various arenas -- I wanted to tell my story, because I hoped you would come to look at Hillary Clinton in a different light, in the light of who she truly is as a human being, and the great genuineness of how much she truly cares about every day, ordinary people, and her honest and faithful drive and purpose to help make things better. I know that this is true, because she showed kindness and compassion to me. My life, in so many ways, seems like a patchwork of moments, accomplishments, opportunities to serve and make a difference, times of hope, comfort, and inspiration, which all came into my life either directly or indirectly, because of Hillary and her lifetime of service, hard work, fortitude, compassion, goodness, and strength, and the champion, hero and inspiration she has always been to me. I have never met her, but I am someone who has been touched, blessed, and affected by her for nearly all of my life.
We shouldn't just pay back kindness we have received - we should also pay it forward. And a true leader inspires others to do this in their daily lives and in their communities - to help others, to give of themselves, to engage in acts of service, to bring hope, to shine a light of goodness into this world - and that is what Hillary, and her example, have done in countless hearts, lives, and communities in our country, and around the world. Ripples of kindness and goodness that extend like waves, touching others lives, and bringing hope and inspiration, lasting and beautiful.
I can look back, over the past 25 years, and see so many circumstances and moments in my life that were affected, blessed, brightened, inspired, and changed for the better because of Hillary Clinton. And I see it in countless other lives, from family and friends, to women, girls, and orphans in other countries, to people I've never met, but whose stories I've heard and been moved and blessed by...a lifetime of hearts and lives changed, impacted, improved, helped, touched, and blessed for the better. I can't imagine our world or our country without Hillary and the remarkable and beautiful impact her life has had on so many other lives. Hillary is a fighter, with the heart of a champion. She always has been; she always will be.
Open your heart, and take the time to thoughtfully, and with an open mind, get to know Hillary and her history; and I am certain that you will come to deeply respect, admire, appreciate, and support this extraordinary, brave, strong, brilliant, caring, compassionate, remarkable woman, leader, and public servant who first touched my life and my heart a quarter of a century ago, when I was 10 years old, and who still inspires me, and lifts me up, every single day.