This week, I turned 42. It didn’t, at first, seem like a big deal. I wasn’t dreading my birthday or anything, in fact, I am glad that this past year of my life has concluded. It was a difficult year that included a lot of hard work, an unexpected disaster, stress, indecision, and self-scrutiny. Disappointment came to me through the election of Donald Trump and many people’s anxieties about what it could mean for our country and our civil liberties. All the discussion and p

Before the election last November, I was feeling hopeful. I had already completed an absentee ballot and was excited, because I thought Hillary Clinton was going to win. I didn’t understand why many were questioning her about what others, including her husband, had done in office. In general, I believed it was time for a woman president, and I agreed specifically with many of Hillary Clinton’s policies. She has worked hard in the past to make public schools accessible for