“My mom got really famous around my junior year. Up until then...

“My mom got really famous around my junior year.  Up until then she’d been the director of a nonprofit in our community.  She’d organize little protests here and there.  But her profile really exploded after the election.  I remember sitting on the stage while she gave an important speech.  I could see blocks and blocks of people, all looking at her with admiration.  I knew things were about to change.  I knew she was going to get busier.  Now she’s always traveling.  She’s always giving interviews.  Sometimes she’s on the phone from 9 AM to 9 PM.  We’re so proud of her.  She’s finally doing what she’s always wanted to do.  But she tries to hide the dark side from us.  She tells us not to go on social media and read the comments, or the smears, or the death threats.  She thinks she’s shielding us from it, and we play along.  We pretend to only see the good stuff so she doesn’t have to worry about us feeling safe.  Her public persona comes into the house a lot.  She used to be a calm person with fiery moments.  Now she’s a fiery person with calm moments.  When she gets upset, she’ll go straight into speech mode.  I think she’s afraid to ever let it go.  I think the persona protects her from her own mind.  Her own doubts.  Her own fears.  She thinks she always has to be strong.  I think if she could just sit down and say ‘I’m scared,’ it would tear things down.  She could be Mom instead of an activist.”