Today was more than just another day—it was the day my husband and I voted, with our three daughters in tow. This was intentionally done for a number of reasons, but the biggest is just to simply model the character and kind of person that we hope they become. For us, voting isn’t just about casting a ballot; it’s about reaffirming our values and showing our children how we try to live them out. Our daughters were given the chance to see democracy in action, and I could feel how powerful it was for them to be part of that moment. It took about an hour in line, but they were so patient and got a “future voter” sticker at the end.

We had discussions leading up to this day, talking about what we believe and how it shapes our choices. Our faith is at the center of those discussions. We want our daughters to understand that, while voting for someone we feel aligns with our values is important, it is God who is ultimately sovereign over all leaders and nations. No election outcome changes that truth for us. This doesn’t mean we don’t care about who wins; we feel peace because we trust God’s plan. Our worldview is rooted in the belief that no person, no matter how powerful, has the final say over our lives—only God does. There is no perfect candidate.

In our conversations with our girls, we’ve also tried to stress something equally significant: family unity. Our daughters are half Mexican, and the blend of influences from both sides of the family brings so much depth to our home. They know that some of our loved ones are voting differently than we are. We’ve explained that, even if they may have different beliefs or priorities, that doesn’t change our love for them. That’s the beauty of living in a place where we can have open dialogues, disagree, and still find common ground in love. We want our daughters to see that embracing differences is a part of democracy and a part of being family. The people that we love who are voting differently than us want the same things: safety, health, religious freedom, and the good of human beings all over the world. We just disagree on the methods to bring that about.

The two-party system we have can sometimes feel divisive, but it’s also essential to our democracy. It allows for voices to be heard, ideas to be challenged, and, ideally, for leaders to emerge who will listen to all sides. It’s a reminder that, while our choices matter, our unity matters even more. And as we walked out of that voting station together, I hoped our girls saw that—no matter the outcome, our love for each other and for our community remains steadfast.