Henry ruminating over S.5.4 feeling proud, and quietly worried.
Journal,
I feel so many emotions every time she walks out that door.
Today I felt grateful to have her be the Secretary of State because she's going to be able to bring the boys home. She is. She's that capable and she won't give up and she will figure out what needs to happen to make Andrada listen. Our military deserves to be honoured and the least we can do is bring them home and bury them with full honours at Arlington.
Elizabeth Adams McCord is a patriot. She is service minded and she is classy. She also knows exactly how calculating to be with these disgusting leaders. She also knows what it is like to be waiting here for her loved one to return from war. If anyone can make this happen it is she.
Those are the skills she's honed, the talents she possesses and the strength of character she embodies.
I am proud of my best friend. My partner, the woman I do my day to day life with.
Look at today- She worked hard, she did the dishes and packed a bag and now she's out the door to deal with a total tyrant and I know she's going to get the job done. She's always willing to share the load of our family, our day to day chores and these amazing yet challenging children we have. She's got the chops to deal with awkward and scary. This Datu Andrada. I personally want to pound the guy - but I don't need to because she did it for herself when he assaulted her. I know that she gets teased or pitied or both at work about it. It's been eighteen months and people bring it up. I know she is irritated and a little disturbed by having to go. She's not going to let him know that. She is tougher than she used to be and she was always pretty tough.
I am a husband who worries about my sweetheart. She's been sexually assaulted by this creep and no one else could do this? Conrad couldn't do this. Gordon? My wife has to go see her predator and not have a panic attack. I won't be on the plane. Blake isn't going. Thank God Matt will be there. I trust him as her DS. It's good that they are all prepared for that jackass. I know she can manage her panic attacks on her own but as her husband I don't like that she has them and that as a woman she faces these cretins in so many situations. That people see her body and think they can get their way with her simply because she's a beautiful woman.
To add to my worries, I am always concerned that bucket of bolts she flies in will crash. I worry that she'll be kidnapped or assaulted or killed by some of her enemies. She is a powerful symbol for what everything a democracy stands for. A working mom. A country that is progressive enough to recognize that women and men make powerful decisions. We parent equally in this house and I have seen her deal with our kids, with the students at UVA and I have heard some good stories from Isabelle, George and even those traitors Juliet and Andrew about how my wife handled herself there. She's a badass. She does get scared, but she doesn't cut and run and she can take a lecture or a dressing down like a champ. She owns her choices and learns from them. I am always impressed by that.
She'll bring those soldiers home.
So yeah - I am gonna pray and pace and distract myself with work until she's in my arms once more. I trust her and because of who she is I have to trust the world with her. She is going to be one hell of a President. I have watched her grow into this job with every challenge.
Elizabeth owns my heart in many ways. As my wife, as the mother of my kids, as a woman, as a teacher and as my Secretary of State. The military has a friend in her, t- and she's responsible for getting Conrad to run as an independent and to take climate change seriously.
Conrad knew enough to come find her five years ago. We didn't know how much change she could effect and yet - as a country we are better for it.
That's my wife.