05/19/2021
Last night, as we tucked the girls in (well past their bedtime!):
Ru: "Mama, I just knew you would win. I am so proud of you."
Jiya: "Mama, I'm so glad you won your election! I'm so pwoud of you!"
In the light of day, I am still reeling a bit at the results. I am still overwhelmed at the outpouring of support I've had these past few months and especially at the polls. I am heartened by every person who wielded their democratic right, no matter their vote. I am grateful for every message; every email; every person who reached out in support and in discussion. I LOVED all the long hours of phone and Zoom conversations with neighbors and strangers offering their experiences and their perspectives. Joe and I knew how special this town was when we chose Sharon, but the journey on which this campaign has led me has affirmed just how inimitable this community is.
To everyone who supported my candidacy (near and far), from individual votes to lawn sign squatting rights to sign holding to mentoring to word-of-mouth and full-blown email blasts...I am grateful. I could not have done this without each and every one of you. I know how hard people were pulling for me, and I am honored and humbled.
Thank you to my family for surviving these past few months with me. Thank you to my amazing team--Sophie Gong, Dalia Trachtenberg Yablon, Sophia Oh, James Newton--who absolutely ROCKED it, always stepping up and handling the work seamlessly. And to Oliver Farrell: My peer. My friend. My campaign manager. Oliver, who at the age of 17, ran one of the best campaigns any of us may ever see in our lifetimes. There can be no doubt as to the potential and capability of our students.
We are stewards of our children's futures. It is our duty to provide them every possible opportunity to discover who they are and help them to fly towards all they can be. Six years ago, we chose Sharon. Thank you, Sharon, now, for choosing me. Let's get to work.
