Mary's Mail, August

Dear Supporters - the heart and soul of this campaign,

I have been living with a household full of candidates.

So you all know about the upcoming general election, but you may not know about the other two elections that the Merkley/Sorteberg household has faced. Both of our children ran for student council before school ended for the summer--Brynne to serve on the 5th grade council and Jonathan to serve on the 7th grade council this September. (I must make known that this was their idea not ours!)

Jonathan and Brynne were busy making posters, thinking up slogans, writing speeches, and also pondering what kind of improvements and changes they could each make in their school communities. Jonathan invited his peers to join the "Merk Squad" and said he would be the voice for their ideas and concerns. Brynne proposed an idea to improve the nutritional quality of the school lunches and then later asked me if I thought she could really make that change if elected to the council. "Why not?! Why not try?! Nothing happens if we don't try!!"

This is remarkable to me. It's remarkable because my children, without even realizing it, know that they can make a difference in this world. They know that we can't just sit around and hope others make the changes that we want to see. They know that speaking up and becoming active is what we are called to do.

You might be thinking, well of course my children know these things, growing up in a home where one of the parents is running for office and both are active in their community--but this is not a given--and I will tell you why.

Running for office--whether it be for the State Legislature, the U.S. Senate, or the 7th grade Student Council, takes tremendous courage. It takes courage to put oneself out there--to be prepared to take criticism and rejection--to be prepared to win or lose. It takes courage to stand up for what we believe in and speak that publicly in front of others--no matter what the level.

Watching Jeff and my children putting themselves out there I couldn't help but think---"Wow--this is really remarkable!" It is a gift to watch my children taking chances and being brave just like their dad. This is how we learn and grow and become productive, responsible people; it is remarkable to watch this all unfold at the 10 and 12 year old level.

We have one more race in our household this year. Yes, it is a big one--one that has asked Jeff and the whole family to be strong and courageous. But today I celebrate the strength and courage of my children, the life lessons that they are learning, and the example they are leaving for the world.

All my best,

Mary

PS: Please consider donating to the campaign and help send Jeff to the Senate!

To read other editions of Mary's Mail, log onto www.jeffmerkley.com/meet_mary.

I can be reached at mary@jeffmerkley.com.

Posted August 20, 2008
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