On Jan. 6, I was sworn in as a Fairview city councilor.
My daughter Lucy asked me to raise my right hand and walked me through my oath of office. What was really cool is that she ran in from work to do this, then ran back out as soon as the ceremony was over. Thanks to the magic of Zoom, no one saw her fast-change back into her smoothie-stained Jamba Juice apron and hustle out the door.
Hard working ladies only over here.
I looked into my computer and saw so many family members and friends, old work colleagues and local elected officials, even Harper, my friend Michele's 5th grader, watching from Colorado.
What beautiful faces smiling and cheering in tiny boxes on my screen. That moment lifted my heart. And my heart needed lifting. Just hours before, a violent mob had overrun our Capitol, trying to overturn a free and fair presidential election. Five people died. So, too, died any illusions we may have had about the health of our democracy.
Swearing to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the laws of Oregon, and the ordinances of Fairview, felt heavy and humbling and very important that day.
I am ready. Ready to do what I promised to do - build a strong community that includes everyone, make a great main street, improve and expand parks and natural areas, get proactive about what gets built in the city. I also promise to make Fairview walkable and keep it safe, to protect our air and water, and to help our families and small businesses continue to weather the COVID crisis - and rebuild. It's going to take a long time until we're all strong again.
In the meantime, take care of yourself and your loved ones. In these dark days, remember all the beautiful faces, right there on the tiny boxes on your own screen, and remember your own light.
