Maybe it was because she was older when she had me. She was forty-five, and there are some women already becoming grandmothers at that age. Perhaps it was that perspective.
Momma was also very proud. She had an extremelyshort list of people for me to allow to see her as her disease progressed and I was forced to admit her to a specialized nursing home that cared for Alzheimer’s patients. Michelle and Benchley Evans were two of those people, old friends of hers from before I was born, and who were even my godparents, although I really didn’t know them very well. Benchley advised Momma on her campaigns, too, eventhough he was staunchly GOP and Momma was a Democrat.
I wish I had stayed in closer touch with them. When I decided to seriously eye my run for president, I didn’t feel right about simply calling Benchley to ask him for his advice, no matter how good a friend he was to my mother, no matter that he was my godfather. I didn’t want him to think I was simply using him.
When Susa was in high school,she spent a semester interning for Momma during her last year as a state Senator. Susa went on to get her law degree, and then married a great guy, Carter, who became the chief of staff to a friend of theirs, Owen, when Owen was elected governor of Florida.
Oh, and Susa was Owen’s lieutenant governor. Which set her up for her own gubernatorial run.
She won.
Susa had Benchley’s sage wisdom tocall upon, even though she ran as an Independent. I have no doubt he helped her, because if there were two things everyone knew in Tallahassee, was that Marlene Samuels was proud of her daughter, and Benchley Evans was proud of his.
Two friends, two lawmakers, two driven people—two driven daughters.
I secretly envied Susa for a lot of years, because she married young but her husband helped hercareer, he didn’t hinder it. She also has both her parents alive and reasonably well. I’d already had my tubes tied by the time Susa survived a plane wreck and found out she was expecting their first child.
Susa said her ordeal taught her how precious and fragile life is.
That’s a lesson I secretly brought with me to my political career—I know how precious and fragile life is.
And, unfortunately,I personally know how ridiculously easy it can be to end one.
