Snowshoeing -- it's my favorite winter sport.

When you smile, the whole world stops and stares for awhile

Dear Brooke,

Today you'll find out whether you advance to the primaries for ASB elections. You're worried. I know. After weeks of fence riding, you made the decision to throw your hat in the ring for vice president; and now you wonder whether it was worth it.

Tuesday, you spoke to the assembled student body of your high school, about 1500 students since the seniors weren't present, plus an assortment of adults including teachers, parents and coaches. You were so brave! It had to be nerve-wracking, yet you spoke confidently and determinedly. I know in retrospect you wish you'd written a different speech, you feel like yours didn't favorably compare with Jamil's, etc. And I won't patronize you by assuring you that yours was best. That concept is too subjective to even be relevant. What I will tell you is that I recognize the risk you took, and I have some idea of what it cost you personally to take it, to lay yourself out for public acceptance or rejection, and I'm so damn proud of you!

Here's the thing: risks are risky because they don't always lead to success. Some percentage of the time they're the prelude to failure. But people who don't take risks fail 100% of the time to ever achieve anything but the status quo. Failure doesn't mean a risk wasn't worth taking, it simply means you have an enhanced basis from which to better appreciate it the next time you succeed. And there will ALWAYS be a next success for you, honey, so long as you keep being you and keep taking risks. Plan them, calculate them, sure; but please, please take them.

I haven't any way to know how the vote will go. I hope you advance to the primary, but if anything in politics is certain, it's that nothing is certain. If you advance, I'm going to be the first in line to congratulate your peers for not being idiots. If you don't, I'll be the first in line to reassure you that electoral approval isn't the only measure of acceptance.

Love,

~Mom