Ten days before the 2016 election, I was standing in a cinderblock room in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with Cecile Richards and other leaders of prominent women’s groups, all of us out to make the case for Hillary Clinton’s historic run for President.

The news of her death was discouraging to the point of despair. And yet, upon further reflection, I realized quickly that Cecile’s life should guide us.

"Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives," her family said in a post on social media.

"We’ve been investing in young people for the last 12 years, and now it’s really important that we make space for them to lead.”

As we mourn the loss of activist, organizer, and former president of Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards, I offer words of wisdom she shared with me in our interviews over the years.

Cecile Richards died Monday after battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, her family said in a statement.

Women's rights activist and former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, 67, died at her home surrounded by family and her dog Ollie on Monday morning, her family announced.

A former Planned Parenthood president and staunch women's rights advocate Cecile Richards has died at the age of 67.

Richards was a Waco native and the daughter of the late Gov. Ann Richards. She was also Beto O'Rourke's national finance chair during his run for governor.

Cecile Richards, the longtime head of Planned Parenthood and feminist activist, has died at 67 after a battle with cancer. Richards was also the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

Joe's Mika Brzezinski reflects on the death of Cecile Richards, former Planned Parenthood president, and what lessons we can take from her legacy