Some of you may know that I am a particularly vocal supporter of 2016 Presidential Candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. I have been busting my ass to do as much grassroots volunteering for his campaign, and this includes talking on the phone to other Bernie volunteers about possible events, canvassing, etc. Now, my children knew the moment they returned from Nebraska after summer visitation with their dad that Kenny and I were supporting Mr. Sanders, as evident from the “Bernie 2016” bumper stickers indicating this on both vehicles. My 10 year old daughter asked a lot of questions, specifically about what Bernie would do differently from President Obama or other candidates. She’s a very inquisitive girl and I wasn’t phased by her line of questioning… after all, she asks the same amount of questions if I tell her we’re going out to dinner. It’s just her style.

So when she went to a sleepover on Friday night at her friend’s house, I knew that when she returned on Saturday we would all hear about her grand adventures of playing “celebrity sisters” or all of the episodes of Doctor Who she and her friend were able to watch before it was time for lights out. The furthest thing I could have imagined her doing was talking to her friend’s parents about current events in America, and specifically, about Bernie Sanders. But that’s exactly what she did.

An opportunity to discuss the current presidential race came after dinner when my daughter stopped at the TV on her way up to watch a movie. Her friend’s parents were watching the news, which was discussing Donald Trump and how he stacks up to the Democratic contenders. She sat down next to them and listened for a little while, and then asked “So, what do you think about all of this?” The parents were a little surprised, but obliged her question with “Oh, well, we don’t really know. We haven’t paid much attention to any of this so far.” And that, my friends, is when my ten year old daughter, the mini-me with a fearless personality that is adored & terrifying to many, launched into a stump speech Bernie himself would be proud of. She discussed free public college for all, she talked about getting money out of politics, she talked about how cool it would be to have a President with a Brooklyn accent (this is very important to her for some reason). The parents responded in a way that I can most certainly assume gave my daughter a pep in her step: “Really? Well, I guess we’re going to vote for Bernie Sanders then!” Now, I know that in theory, she was a little abrupt with her initial questioning, but I hadn’t thought to discuss how to open a conversation with adults about politics, because she’s ten. We haven’t even mastered brushing teeth in the morning and in the evening, let alone tone-policed her on political banter.

Sure, this is a fluff post. If it ended up on the front page of Reddit, it was most certainly gain “circle-jerk” status. It’s easy to dismiss the fact that a young child would care this much, or say anything to anyone, on their own accord. But, she did, and she was damn proud of herself for it (as were we, of course). It’s also not a 100% certainty that these voters will show up and vote at all, let alone for Bernie Sanders. What is certain is that while Donald Trump can give his young supporters a helicopter ride in Iowa (which was no doubt so awesome for that kid and his sister), Rory is speaking on behalf of Bernie Sanders and helping others in our Conservative area see what the main-stream media won’t show them: who he is and what he stands for, with nothing to gain personally except the satisfaction of knowing she’s making a difference.

Let this serve as a PSA to anyone who thinks they can’t go out and canvass an area for their candidate of choice (*cough* Bernie Sanders), and anyone who thinks their children aren’t old to enough to know what their best interests are. It is never too early to learn the impact your voice can make, and for Rory, it’s never too early to suck it up and speak up.

Bernie, if you’re reading, Rory sends her most excellent seal of approval, and wants you to know that she’s on your side because you’re on hers. Happy Birthday, Bernie, from all of us in our crazy, kid-filled house in Northern Virginia.

For more information on Bernie’s stance on the issues, please visit http://feelthebern.org or http://www.berniesanders.com