Hillary Clinton on The One Woman Who Inspires Her to Dare

In 1927, Hillary Clinton's mother was sent away to endure a "bleak" and motherless childhood at just 8 years old. Here, nearly 90 years later, the Democratic Presidential candidate reflects back on the hardships her mother saw, and how, in spite of this, she grew up to be "so loving"—a mother who raised her daughter to believe she could be anything she dreamed of, even President of the United States. Along the way, Clinton has inspired countless women around the world to dare to do the impossible, encouraging young visionaries to break—not just push—boundaries. The new generation of #WomenWhoDare are those who, like Clinton, refuse to conform. Read her exclusive essay for meltsflow.com and see the rest of the 2016 Women Who Dare Issue below.

Over the years, I've met more than my fair share of "women who dare"—trailblazers, activists, and leaders from all walks of life, each making her own special mark on the world. But the most inspiring woman I've ever known had a quieter kind of courage. My mother's name was Dorothy, and she was my rock from the day I was born until the day she left us. She knew what it was like to get knocked down, but again and again, she got back up and kept going.

My mother's childhood was bleak. Her early years were spent in Chicago, until one day, her parents packed her and her sister up, put them on a train, and sent them to California to live with grandparents who didn't want them. I think a lot about her making that long train journey—just 8 years old, holding her 3-year-old sister by the hand, the two of them completely on their own. Things were bad in California, and by 14, my mom was out of her grandparents' house and on her own, working as a maid. I think a lot about that too.

Growing up, I didn't know any of this. She was just… my mother—warm, loving, someone my brothers and I ran straight to whenever we needed advice or encouragement or just a hug. She and I were a team. She believed in me. And she made everything she touched better. I remember one stressful night when she salvaged my disastrous attempt to make a skirt in home economics. Somehow even that was fun, because of her.

When I was old enough to understand her upbringing, I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. I couldn't imagine life without my mom—how in the world did she grow up without a wonderful parent of her own? And how did she turn out to be so loving, when she received so little love as a little girl?

Finally, I asked what kept her going during those hard early years. Here's what she told me: along the way, people stepped up and sustained her with acts of kindness.

There was the first grade teacher who noticed that my mother had nothing to eat at lunch. So she started bringing extra food to share, taking care not to embarrass her. She'd say: "You know, Dorothy, I brought too much food. Would you like this sandwich?" It wasn't until my mother was much older that she realized that teacher fed her for an entire year.

Then, when my mother was a teenager, the woman whose house she cleaned saw how badly she wanted to go to high school. She told my mother that she was smart and capable, and made her a deal: if my mother got up early and got her chores done, she could go to school. Mom leapt at that offer. It was the first time anyone ever told her she had something of value to offer the world. And it was the first time she saw what a loving household with kind and supportive parents looked like.

Because those people believed in her, she believed in herself… and later, in me. She taught me that everyone deserves a chance in life, and everyone deserves a champion. And she believed with all her heart that there's no higher calling in life than serving others.

That message keeps me going. As long as I can remember, it's been my passion to help children live up to their God-given potential. People often ask me what sparked that passion. The simple answer is my mother.

When I met a little girl in Nevada terrified that her parents are going to be deported… or a little boy in Flint, Michigan, who can't drink the water at home or school because it's poisoned with lead… it got me right in the gut. Because I can easily imagine little Dorothy Howell in that exact situation—on her own, vulnerable, but so determined to be brave. All I want to do is make things better for kids like her, who feel like they're all alone in the world.

Campaigns don't leave much time for reflection. It's tough to find time to grab a quick meal, let alone sit with your thoughts. But more and more, in the quiet moments backstage or at the end of a long day, I find myself thinking about my mother.

I think about all the hardship she saw in her life—and all the progress. She came into the world at a time when women's options were narrow. But on the day—the exact day—she was born, Congress passed the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, putting women on the path to voting. And then my mother grew up and raised her daughter to believe she could be anything she dreamed of, even President of the United States.

I wish she could be here to witness this important moment for our country. I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become—nothing would have made her prouder. And I wish she could be here to meet her two great-grandchildren, and look into their eyes, and imagine all the progress that's possible within their lifetimes, if we dare to reach for it.

THE VISIONARIES

Meet the new generation of #WomenWhoDare: from Jazz Jennings, a transgender teen navigating high school, to Uma Thurman, who is reconciling her career 20 years later, we asked six female trailblazers to tell us their inspiring stories. Here, they explain why they refuse to conform.

Jazz Jennings: Dating as a Transgender Teen The 15-year-old YouTube star and LQBTQ rights activist opens up about her quest for prince charming as a transgender teenage girl. Read the full story here.

Amanda Booth: Defying Down Syndrome Stereotypes After the Los Angeles-based model gave birth to her down syndrome son last year, she refused to let society dictate how she should raise him. Instead, she turned to Instagram to share their story with the world. Read the full story here.

The Eagle Huntress: Overturning 2,000 years of Male Tradition Thirteen-year-old Aisholpan Nurgaiv came from a long line of eagle hunters, but in 12 generations there had never been a woman to carry on the tradition, until now. Read the full story here.

Bibi Bourelly: Rihanna's Songwriter Dares to Follow Her Dreams The 22-year-old lyricist and singer "barely" finished high school. Instead, she decided to chase more unconventional aspirations and met Kayne West along the way. Read the full story here.

Uma Thurman: Why the Actress Refuses to Give Up on Her Goals The 41-year-old sits down with her friend Jennifer Rudolf Walsh, founder of Together, for one very real conversation about fighting stereotypes, and the importance of refusing to accept failure. Read the full story here.

Jaha Dukureh: Leading the Battle to End Female "Circumcision" The Atlanta-based activist and founder of Safe Hands for Girls shares her own harrowing story—explaining why it is so important we end the practice of female genital mutilation for good. Read the full story here.

THE FASHION

Stylist/vintage enthusiast Natalie Joos and illustrator/model Langley Fox dare to switch wardrobes for a day. See their transformations in photos here.

THE ADVICE

From business to the bedroom and everything in between, we enlisted 14 experts to detail how to be daring in every aspect of your life.

How to Be Daring When Getting Dressed Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo shares her tips on how—and when—to be daring with style. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring When Traveling Beautiful Destinations' Jeremy Jauncey reveals how to get out of your comfort zone when you're on vacation. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring in Business FWRD's Elyse Walker explains how to build a successful fashion empire. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring With Your Body To celebrate Straight/Curve, a new documentary about female body image, model Iskra Lawrence opens up about what it will take to accept—and love—your own body. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring on Social Media BAZAAR.com's Associate Digital Editor and the legendary DKNY PR Girl, Aliza Licht, demonstrate how to get ahead in your career using Twitter and Instagram. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring Based on Your Zodiac Sign What society deems courageous doesn't apply to everyone in the same way. Here, astrologist Chani Nicholas advises how to challenge yourself based on your birthday. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring At Dinnertime From adding an unexpected twist to a cocktail, to trying new things with food, there are plenty of ways you can hit a daring note at dinnertime. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring with Decor Because bolder is better, says interior designer Nick Olsen. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring at Your Wedding Why brides don't actually have to follow long-ingrained traditions, explains BAZAAR.com's Weddings Editor. Read the full story here.

The Daring Playlist Stepping outside of your comfort zone is easier with the right music. Here, 21 female artists share the songs that make them feel daring. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring in the Bedroom 'Future Sex' author Emily Witt opens up about learning to embrace her sexuality—and how you can, too. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring With Your Hair Famed fashion hairstylist Guido Palau reveals how to pull off statement-making hair with unabashed confidence. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring With Your Money Financial advisor Janice Goldman on making money—then making it make you more money. Read the full story here.

How to Be Daring With Makeup Celebrity makeup artist Alice Lane teaches us how to push the beauty boundaries with glitter and velvety matte lips. Read the full story here.

THE THRILL SEEKERS

From a ropeless rock climber and a fearless shark diver to two dancers who scale building walls, we visited some extraordinarily physically daring women to find out what makes them tick. Watch the video below: