Waking up to learn of this news was not the way I wanted to greet the day, that's for sure.

I remember being a little girl and being in total awe of this woman. Total and complete. There were really only two career paths I was ever going to take: journalism or politics. In addition to my father's political involvements, Ann Richards was the other reason I ever even considered giving my life up to that world. I'm still happy with the choice I made, but damned if I don't feel like I let her down a bit.

"I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.'" Richards said this before she left office more than a decade ago. I was reminded of it today when I read her obit. Women such as Richards gave the rest of us permission to start thinking that, you know, maybe, just maybe, it was OK to embrace a life that didn't include being a homemaker, as noble as a career as it may be. It's simply not for everyone; certainly not for me.

Godspeed, Ms. Richards. You'll be missed.

Posted by Erin at 07:54 AM | filed under: Political, baby

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