The Iceberg Melts

The pundits the day after the New Hampshire primary are now baffled that Hillary Clinton won over Barrack Obama by three per cent. Many have attributed her win to the women's vote, yet they wonder why the women of Iowa rejected her and the women of New Hampshire voted for her. "What has changed?" they ask. In my opinion, her tears on Monday at the small cafe during a question and answer session were an important key to her victory. The iceberg we have seen in Arkansas for years has melted.

My husband and I moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1972 from neighboring state Mississippi. It was shortly after that the Clinton couple moved into the public limelight in Fayetteville and in the state. We followed them as Bill moved up in state political circles to become Governor. We followed them as controversy whirled surrounding Hillary's choice for a while not to take her husband's last name but to be called Rodham instead. We followed them as their daughter Chelsea was born. We read their books through the years. We followed them throughout the Presidency and the Monica Lewinsky affair. We followed Hillary's successful campaign in New York to become a senator. During this time, we never saw any emotion whatsoever in Hillary, not even in her autobiography Living History. We did not think it was possible until Monday of this week.

As a working woman in America for over forty years, I know how difficult it is to maintain professionalism in a predominately male environment. I know how difficult it is to fulfill many the many roles expected of us by society: career woman, helpmate to our husbands, mother, cook, chauffeur, finance minister for the family, and yes, even cookie baker for our children's school events. I know the tiredness one can feel when she feels she has put her heart into a project only to see the positive results either criticized or to slip away before her eyes.

In short, I know why she feels like crying, even in public, occasionally. So do most of the other women of America. Even an iceberg can sometimes benefit from melting. Let us hope it does not freeze again too soon.