It’s great to be back on the campaign trail

It’s great to be back on the campaign trail. As you may know, I recently had a cough that turned out to be pneumonia. I tried to power through it, but even I had to admit that maybe a few days of rest would do me good.

I’m not great at taking it easy, even under ordinary circumstances, and sitting home was pretty much the last place I wanted to be with just two months until Election Day.

But having a few days to myself was actually a gift. I talked with some old friends and spent time with our very sweet dogs. And I did some thinking.The campaign trail doesn’t really encourage reflection, and it’s important to sit with your thoughts every now and then.

People like me?—?we’re lucky. When I’m under the weather, I can afford to take a few days off. Millions of Americans can’t. They either go to work sick, or they lose a paycheck.

Lots of Americans still don’t even have insurance?—?or they do, but it’s too expensive to actually use. So they toss back Tylenols, chug orange juice, and hope that cough or cold or virus goes away on its own.

And lots of working parents can’t afford childcare. It costs as much as college tuition in many states, so millions of moms and dads have no backup if they get sick?—?they’re on their own.

I’ve met so many people living on a razor’s edge?—?one illness away from losing their job, one paycheck away from losing their home.

Events like these are mere bumps in the road for some families?—?but for others, they are catastrophic. And that disparity goes against everything we stand for as Americans.

Some things shouldn’t come down to luck. Some things should be within reach for every American, no matter what?—?like financial security, affordable health care, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if something goes wrong, your family will be okay.

That’s why I got into this race: to fight for everyone working hard, often against the odds, to support their families and contribute to our country. I want to tear down all the barriers standing in their way.

I’m running for the factory workers and food servers who on their feet all day?—?and the nurses looking after patients all night. I’m running for the young people who dream of changing our country and world for the better, and I’m running for all the parents and grandparents supporting those dreams by dedicating every dollar they can to their education.

I’m running for women like Janelle Turner. In May of last year, Janelle was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through nearly six months of very tough treatments. Last October, she brought her 8-year-old daughter to one of our campaign events in Iowa, and they made a huge sign that read, “Thirteenth chemo yesterday. Three more. Hear me roar!”

Janelle and I got to talking, and we’ve stayed in touch. She keeps promising me that she’ll see me at the inauguration. And I tell her that I’ll keep working to get there, but she better get there too. I’m running for her and all the mothers and fathers trying to get and stay healthy so they can be there for their kids. But perhaps most of all, I’m running for those kids.

Standing up for children has been the work of my life, as a lawyer with the Children’s Defense Fund, as first lady in Arkansas, and later in the White House. I’ve fought for kids housed in adult jails, kids who’ve been neglected and abused, kids who couldn’t get health insurance because of pre-existing conditions, kids with disabilities that prevented them from going to school.

So when I meet a little girl in Nevada—terrified that her parents are going to be deported—it hits me right in the gut. When I meet a little boy in Flint, Michigan, who can’t drink the water at home or in school because it’s poisoned with lead, that gets me going. All I want to do is make things better for them.

This is why I care so much about national security, too?—?I want to give our kids a safer world. To me, that means a world with strong allies, more friends, fewer enemies, and fewer nuclear weapons. It also means leading the fight against climate change so we can leave our kids a healthy planet. My opponent in this race disagrees with me on every one of those fronts, which is just one of the reasons this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes.

I’ve been involved in politics in one way or another for many years. It’s not an easy business?—?it can get rough. I’ve built up some defenses, and when it comes to public service, I’m better at the “service” part than the “public” part. But this is why I do this. This is who I’m in it for and what this race has always been about for me.

And now, we’re in the final stretch. There are just 54 days left.

Here’s my promise to you. I’m going to close my campaign the way I began my career?—?and the way I will serve as your president, should you give me the honor: focused on opportunities for kids and fairness for families.

And from now until November 8, I’m going to keep talking about my ideas for our country everywhere I go. My campaign has rolled out detailed plans in 38 different policy areas?—?everything from reining in Wall Street to creating good-paying jobs to fighting Alzheimer’s, and supporting people with autism.

I sweat the details, whether we’re talking about the exact level of lead in the water in Flint, or the number of early voting days in North Carolina, or the precise interest rate on your student loans, right down to the decimal.Because it’s not a detail if it’s your kid and it’s not a detail if it’s your family.It’s a big deal, and it should be a big deal to your president.

So I’m asking Americans to hold me accountable for my ideas. And hold my opponent accountable for his.

We need a president who’s spent years fighting for these issues, and who has a plan to support all families, in all their configurations. And if I have the honor of serving as your president, no one will fight harder for your children and your families?—?because this is the work of my life, and I’m not stopping now.