Dear Hillary,

I don't even know where to start this letter. So many things to say but not enough words to actually put my feelings into words.

First of all, thank you. Thank you for being an inspiration - to me, and to girls and women (but also boys and men I'm sure) everywhere. Thank you for your grit, determination, heart, and spirit. Thank you for caring, caring about issues that matter and are most important in this world. Issues that involve human rights in every form possible because yes, human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights; and gay rights are human right and human rights are gay rights. Thank you for making actual lives better in this world; the fact that there are people, especially women, in this world who have better lives because of you warms my heart to the core. Thank you for strengthening by belief that optimism is important because there's always hope. Thank you for showing that we should never give up. Thank you for underlining what I already try to live by: “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.” I could continue this list but I think my point is clear.

I've been a feminist even before I knew of the existence of the word or the concept, and I've been lucky to have strong women in my life while growing up, nobody made me feel like I was worth less because I was a girl. I'm completely aware that this is not the case for most girls and women in the world. I hate that this is still the world we have to live in now, a world in which the most qualified woman running for president ever was still not able to break the highest glass ceiling, and many other countries, including my own, have yet to experience female leadership. I still can't wrap my head around it.

As Samantha Bee put it during your introduction at the Women in the World Summit: “It should have been you.” I will never stop believing this and it will never not hurt that the outcome of this election was not what we all hoped for. I was with you in 2008 but it wasn't to be, so I rallied behind President Obama, excited to see him elected. Then a little over a year ago you announced your 2016 run and I was elated. I was sure this was going to be your time, I knew it, I felt it in my bones. You were going to win this. I was glued to your campaign and followed your run closely, and while I liked you before I became really fascinated by you this time around. Your work, your passions, your ideals, your ideas, I realized what kind of an inspiration you are and how much good you have done in this world.

You are an example and an inspiration and even if you didn't break that glass ceiling I know that you have inspired so many women and girls around the globe to be their best selves, to do all the good, to be stronger together, to never lose hope and give up. I know you are an example and inspiration to me and you'll continue to be. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I'm still with you and will always be with you. Let's all keep fighting together for what is right and resist, always.

Yours truly,

Chiara