The Ride to Capitol Hill

When I boarded a plane in Phoenix headed for Washington, D.C., I knew I was traveling to share my story. What I did not fully realize was how much more meaningful that journey would become because I was not traveling alone. I was bringing my almost-three-year-old daughter, Rebecca, with me.

The trip itself was hectic. We missed our connecting flight and arrived later than planned, which is not exactly the kind of travel experience you dream about when heading across the country with a toddler. Especially on short notice. But somehow, through all the chaos, it was still incredibly meaningful. MomsRising had everything so thoughtfully coordinated, and the MomsRising team, especially Felicia and Val, made sure we were taken care of every step of the way.

I was traveling to DC to join House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ affordability conference and share my family’s story. I have talked before about what affordability looks like in real life for my family: the cost of child care, groceries, and gas, maternal health, paid leave, and what happens when families are expected to somehow keep everything together while the systems meant to support them fall short.

But this time felt different because Rebecca was there. 

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Members of the House Democratic Caucus held a live press event on Capitol Hill and invited member Kat to share her affordability story:

Fighting For Our Children

No one told me I needed to bring my daughter. I wanted her there though.

I wanted her to be part of this experience because, in so many ways, the story I was telling was about her.

It was about the life I want for her and her little sister. It was about the kind of support I believe families should have when they welcome a child, when a mother gives birth, when parents need child care, and when simply making ends meet starts to feel like a full-time job on top of the full-time job of raising children.

Rebecca may not have understood why Mommy was standing in front of strangers in DC talking about our family. She may not have understood why the cost of child care or paid leave mattered so much. She may not remember the conference at all.

But I will. I will remember watching her experience DC with me.

I will remember Rep. Debbie Dingell taking her on a tour of the Capitol. I will remember her experiencing her first train ride. I will remember all the little moments in between the travel, the exhaustion, the excitement, the chaos, and the joy. 

“I wanted [my daughter] to be part of this experience because, in so many ways, the story I was telling was about her.”

Creator @momsrising shared a video highlighting Kat and Rebecca traveling to Washington D.C. to speak at House Democratic Leader Jeffries’ affordability conference about her family’s story:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by MomsRising.org (@momsrising)

Sharing Our Stories is Crucial

And I hope that one day, when she is old enough to understand, she will know why I brought her.

I brought her because I wanted her to see that our voices matter.

I wanted her to know that when something affects our families, we do not have to sit quietly and assume that someone else will speak for us or feel like our voice is insignificant simply because we are just one family of four.

And I wanted her to know that sometimes, using your voice means telling the truth about your own experience, not because you believe your family is the only family struggling, but because you know there are countless other families living versions of the same story.

That is why storytelling has become so important to me.

There are so many numbers attached to conversations about affordability. There are statistics about child care costs, maternal health, wages, paid leave, and the rising cost of raising a family. Those numbers matter. But behind every number is a family trying to figure out how to make it work.

I want people to listen to those families.

Not immediately argue. Not immediately try to fight back. Not reduce someone’s experience to a political talking point.

Just listen. 

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Putting a Face to Our Stories Matters

My family does not fit perfectly into one political box, and I do not expect every person who hears my story to agree with me on everything. But I do believe that families across political lines can recognize what it feels like to worry about whether you can afford child care, whether you can take time away from work after having a baby, whether your paycheck will stretch far enough, or whether you can give your children the opportunities you want for them.

Those concerns do not belong to one political party.

Maternal health does not belong to one political party. Child care does not belong to one political party. The desire to see our children thrive does not belong to one political party.

Families should be able to be heard without having to first prove which political side they belong to.

That is why I traveled from Phoenix to Washington, DC.

I traveled because I believe our stories have a place in these conversations. I traveled because I wanted policymakers to see more than numbers on a page. I wanted them to see a mother who got on a plane with her toddler because she believed it was worth being in the room.

And I brought Rebecca because someday, I want her to understand that she was part of that story, too.

Maybe she will not remember the conference. Maybe she will not remember the Capitol tour or her first train ride. But I hope she remembers or at least grows up knowing that her mother used her voice for her.

For her.

For her sister.

And for families who are still waiting to be seen.

Because sometimes storytelling is the first step toward being heard.

And sometimes, being heard is the beginning of change.