kaleidoscoping chaos...: 2020

It's been a really long time. Last we left off, I was about to leave on a jet plane to Seattle and start a new job as Senior Corporate Counsel for Global Product Safety, Food Safety, and Private Brands Safety & Compliance at Amazon. I was going to first train in Seattle and then return to be based in DC with lots of bi-coastal travel anticipated. So that's what happened. and so much more.

Recap

In the past two years, America was still battling the orange evil dictator.There was a much needed Blue Wave in 2018. We broke up with our weird au pair in December 2018 (not Emma!). The kids started and finished two more years of school (they are now in 4th and 6th grade). We celebrated lots of holidays, birthday, and milestones. We went on lots of adventures and trips - including a family trip to Panama at the end of 2019. Before we all knew what was happening it was 2020. On March 13th, we were all quarantined because of COVID-19. Then came the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others and a resurgence of Black Lives Matter movement across the country during the summer despite the global pandemic. This year, 2020, has been the year that just keeps giving- or taking – more than 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the US, and a host of role models and civil rights leaders have passed including John Lewis, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Chadwick Boseman, Bob Gibson, Katherine Johnson, and so many more. And we have been here for it all - living, protesting, adventuring, watching, listening, crying, laughing, learning, and witnessing ALL OF IT.

Fast forward, and October 9^th was my last day at Amazon. My job at Amazon was intense and super interesting. I worked with great people and learned a ton. When COVID hit, I worked even more. As they say at Amazon, it is always Day One, and I appreciated the opportunity to “Work Hard. Have Fun. Make History.” But timing is everything in life and a new opportunity came my way. I decided to take four weeks off to reset – emotionally and physically before the new gig started. The first week, I took the kids and went to NY to see my parents because they planned to go to Florida in November and we wanted to see them before they left (kids are in virtual school so we could go). We took our COVID tests and road tripped there. My mom had all these treats in the house and I ate a ton of it when I got there. You know I was on vacation?!?! Hostess cupcakes, Hebrew National salami, box of Mallowmars, NY pizza, Hershey bars, and more. At 4am, the second morning I was there, I awoke from a terrifying pain – I was either having a heart attack or my gallbladder was exploding. For four hours I suffered, and then when everyone got up at 8am, we decided I needed to go to the hospital in an ambulance. That led to an emergency gallbladder surgery. Jocelyn had to rent a car and drive up to NY on Thursday when I had the surgery. They let me out on Friday, and then we all drove back to DC on Saturday. That was my first week off – because you know WTF – it's 2020?!?!?! Thankfully, I am recovering fine and should be well. We carried on with virtual school, baseball, hooped, jujitsu, zoom calls, wearing masks, porch dates, outdoor movies at friend's houses, the kids riding their bicycles and meeting up with friends, and Halloween. Vera did two photo shoots - one as a supreme court justice with 100 other black girls with the She Will Rise organization and the other one was with 10 of her black and brown friends - who were dressed as Kamala Harris, standing in Black Lives Matter in the rain! This is basically the Cliff Notes version of our life until a week ago.

The Longest Week

This past Monday, on November 2, I turned 50. When I turned 49, I decided I would have a destination 50^th birthday and invite everyone! I would plan the whole thing at a resort on a beach somewhere warm for the weekend of November 6^th, 2020. We would be celebrating winning the election or dreading the fate of the world if we lost, but we would be together and in a beautiful place. I had decided the place would be Cartagena, Columbia. There is a gold museum (50 is the golden birthday) there and a small Jewish community. I had found a great hotel resort on the beach and there was a ton fun stuff to do. That is not what I did this year.

Rather, I turned 50 in quarantine with a socially distant drive-by photo booth with masks with a few good friends. I also had an amazing three hour Zoom call with friends and family from all times of my life. Wonderful gifts arrived including flowers from my parents and a selfie stick from Jocelyn and the kids. It was exactly what I wanted.

The next day was the 2020 election. To be clear, Trump and most of the Republicans (except for the Lincoln Project Republicans) are evil. The have turned public health policies into a partisan affair. Wearing masks – partisan? Being socially-distant – partisan? How did we get here? Every day the numbers of those affected with COVID-19 and dying from COVID-19 are spiking and they don’t care. It is a crazy evil racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobia, anti-Semitic, white nationalist cult of personality being propped up by people like Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and so many others.

Our only hope was this election. That everyone would vote - young people, old people, every color, and every affiliation would vote despite the pandemic, for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. After a really weird birthday on November 2nd, I woke on November 3 ready to call PA voters for the whole day - and I did. I was helping them "cure" their ballots. Then at 8pm, we gathered as a family to see what happened. Our blank electoral map with red and blue markers. Biden/Harris stickers. And the American 46 cocktail. It was a long night. It was a long Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Still no winner declared. I could go on about how I had flashbacks and PTSD from the 2000 election and the 2016 election... and what we did to pass the time - but I want to stay focused on 2020 and getting to the end of the week..

On Saturday, we woke up and I took the kids to outside jujitsu - because that is a thing now - so it Zoom jujitsu - because of COVID 19. As I sat in the car by the park, I kept refreshing the vote counts on my phone. And then I saw it. Biden/Harris won PA and they were declared President elect and VP elect. I screamed. I called Jocelyn. Their jujitsu master looked at me. I screamed it's done - they won. All the kids started jumping up and down for joy. Horns started beeping. I called Jocelyn again and we were both screaming. I drove around the corner to Dunkin Donuts to buy all the kids the red, white and blue Vote donuts - because democracy had won. I had been wearing my Biden/Harris tshirt since Tuesday. I walked in and the black women behind the counter looked at me and said, "I LOVE YOUR SHIRT" - and I just screamed again and she did too! I told her I have 24 kids in a park who just heard the news at a jujitsu class and I want to bring them the Vote donuts. I asked her if she would put each donut in its own little bag for me-because you know COVID. She smiled and said: "absolutely! Today is a great day, and everyone should have a donut! " I came back to jujitsu and the kids had donuts and kept spontaneously bursting out into chants of Biden/Harris and yes I was crying. We got home and rushed to our corner with our signs and American flag. We stayed there for a bit while everyone was beeping, cheering and shouting - it was the sounds of joy, relief, exhale, and exhaustion.

I left the kids alone for a bit and then I packed them into the car and we drove to Black Lives Matter Plaza around 5pm to see the massive celebrations. It was amazing to see the spontaneous joy in the street with BLACK LIVES MATTER painted in yellow on the ground under our feet while facing the White House with the Washington Monument in the background. The kids didn't really want to go - because let's face it - they are addicted to video games and youtube... but we went. Jonah had his big sign. Vera wore her Kamala blazer and pearls with her Biden/Harris tshirt and within 30 minutes we were there. And the kids saw the energy with their own eyes - they felt it in their bodies.. The dancing, the signs (with curse words), the screaming, the horns blaring, and ALL THE NEWS CREWS! It was a moment.

Because I had bribed the kids to go with me by promising Burger King for dinner, we eventually got back in the car, and drove home stopping by Burger King drive thru for chicken nuggets. We ate, took showers, got into snuggly pj and all piled into our room to watch the speeches together. And then magic happened!

Vice President-elect walked on the stage in suffragette white in homage to Shirley, Geraldine and Hillary before her. She gave the speech of her life and glowed while she gave it. I could not stop crying. The first Black, first woman, first India/South Asian descent, , first daughter of immigrants to be our Vice President!!!!! The President-elect, ran on stage with his black suit and blue tie, and a hit it out of the park. This was my America. These were my leaders. This was hope, inspiration, hard work, policies and plans for a United States of America. This was truth over lies. This was real life - not a reality tv show. This was relief and excitement and so much crying. After the speeches it got better - there was the big beautiful mass of white, brown, and black people up on that stage exuding love for each other and for their country. There were Kamala's two great nieces dressed in white stealing my heart. And Joe's daughter who could not stop jumping up and down. And the spouses so devoted to their candidates. This was America's future - I was there for it. And then there were the fireworks and the drones! The kids may have left once the speeches were done - but I was transfixed. We had waited so long.One of the best Saturday nights ever.

Always Day One

At Amazon they have the Amazon language they speak. They call themselves Amazonians and a key mantra/core value is that you should approach your job like it is Always Day One. Meaning always be hungry, be engaged, be aware, be like a startup, be innovative, be ready to succeed, and be ready to do great stuff. I will take this with me from my old job. We need this energy right now. Our country is facing a new Day One - A day one that we have waited four years to arrive. We need to tackle COVID 19, economic crisis, systemic racism, immigration, climate change, women's issues, LGBT issues, foreign policy concerns, and so much more. We need plans, policies and energy that will move us to make real change. Bu the work cannot even start because we must laser focus on the Senate. Thanks to Stacey Abram's GA's two Senators seats are in play. We must do everything possible to turn these blue. And if so, Madame Vice President will be able to break the tie, each and every time! We still need our America to show up to make this happen. Voting will still set us free.

My personal Day One starts tomorrow at Mattel, Inc. I am starting a new job as Head of Regulatory Affairs for Mattel. I am so excited to work for such an amazing company that owns the most iconic brands like Barbie, Fisher Price, American Girl, Hotwheels, and Uno. I cannot think of a better place to have my own Day One tomorrow. I am 100% ready to go.

A vision for beyond 2020

2020 has been a crazy manic year. We are all counting the days for it to end. It was by far the most imperfect year yet. However, there have been glimpses of light and rainbows. Despite all the boxes my family checks that makes us vulnerable (two moms (black and white) and two black Jewish kids,), we are so very lucky and privileged. We both have jobs, the kids have the resources to do virtual school (which I might add is a total and complete shit show and miserable), we are healthy, and we have resources and a support network we need. WE ARE SO LUCKY.

So here's to ending this crazy 2020 year over these next few months calmly, with hope, and supporting others who need it. Let's make sure we are dedicating 2021 as the year we took it all back - our country, our politics, our rights, our communities, our dignity in the world. The year we won our collective battle with both public health crises - the COVID virus and the virus of systemic racism. I am ready to work for it all - to be ready for Kamala's and Joe's Day One and never stop fighting for what is right. Our lives and our democracy are too precious to do anything but.

Celebrating in the street on Saturday, November 7, 2020 for Joe and Kamala

Finally, leaving a lot of photos (more than 700) from July 2018 until the first day of Pandemic lock down March 13, 2020 in chronological order. Since March 13, I have posted my photos on Facebook as a journal of the Pandemic and this crazy 2020. Beginning tomorrow I am not gonna FB post every day but you can catch me on Facebook when big (and not big) things happen

Going to Seattle in July 2018 to start my new job at Amazon: