The very first time I went to vote, I was an exchange student in France. I remember that my host mother took me and my host sister to the polls and we watched her vote for Jacques Chirac. I was 14 years old.

I voted for the first time when I was 19. At the time, I was living in Germany so I voted with an absentee ballot. Not nearly as glamorous as going to the polls, still I voted and have voted in every presidential election since.

Fiona was born in a very exciting time. We have our first African-American president, who also happens to be a feminist. After his term is over, it is very likely that we will have the first woman president. I didn’t think this was something I’d see in my lifetime…

But she was also born in a time when we have to continuously fight to keep our country from going backwards.

Last week, I took Fiona with me to vote in the primary election. Even though she is only a year old, I want her to grow up knowing how important it is to be a part of the process. I also want to start drilling into her brain that as a woman who is also a minority it is even more important that she learns about the issues so she can make an informed choice about who she was representing her.

I think that seeing her with her I VOTED sticker was one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a mom thus far. This is what we are preparing her for. This is the example we are setting for her and I hope it’s one that sticks.

The November election can’t come fast enough.