AJ Alanson Author

A week ago, my daughter boarded a plane, left the US, and touched down in Germany where she’ll live for a year as a youth ambassador for the State Department. She has deep reservations about coming back under the current treatment of women and the self-inflicted chaos in higher education. Her texts are fewer and fewer from the total emersion culture and language camp as she navigates her new world, but each word she types shows a rapid evolution from the day before. In her own way, she took extreme measures to overcome the growing impossible culture here at home. While others march, shout, resist, cancel, and boycott, she, having graduated high school at the tender age of 17, decided to take herself off the chess board completely. “If this country doesn’t want me, they won’t have me.” Our loss.

Trying to return to my life, and inspired by her bravery and brilliance, I sat down to finish editing my latest novel only to have this picture of her pop up on my computer in my “memories.” I smile, take off my glasses, and wipe my eyes. From her first Halloween to last year’s, she has always loved to dress up and go out trick or treating. On this particular afternoon, annoyed with the hours of curling her hair and fussing with makeup, I snapped this picture as her tolerance faded. Now, in a single, prophetic photo, I see written her autonomy, determination, exquisite beauty, and most of all, her super human strength. You go, girl!