It’s about time. Even if a smart, compassionate woman president won’t have any more power with an obstructionist Congress than a smart, compassionate male president, we need a woman president. And I want to see one in my lifetime. I would happily vote for Hillary Clinton. So she’s an opportunistic politician. She’s always spoken up for education and human rights for girls and women. How many old white guys have done that?

Nicholas Kristof has stood up for girls and women around the world in his New York Times columns and his book “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” which he co-wrote with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. What’s so scary about smart girls? he asks in his latest column.

Reading women/thinking women don’t want the status quo for their children. They want opportunities for a better life.  If more women held power in the United States, we would be less likely to go to war and more likely to fund quality public education for all. We would do far more good around the world by promoting educational exchange programs, instead of sending tanks.

Hillary Clinton always spoke about human rights and education for women in countries she visited as secretary of state. But I would prefer Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as our next president. She speaks more forcefully about the ever-increasing economic inequality in America, perhaps the greatest danger to our dwindling democracy.

When I get myself all riled up about politics I need flowers. Today I treated myself to lilacs. As I get older I’ve learned about balancing my anxiety about the political situation with my own needs. Anxiety does nobody any good. Speaking out and remembering all the goodness in the world helps.

So. For my daughter, for my daughter-in-law, for my nieces and great nieces, for all the smart, caring, magnificent young women everywhere, for little Mira — who will be 1 tomorrow — for all people, for all mothers, let’s speak up for more power to women!