PFLAG NYC + My mommy!
Sunday, I was officially elected onto the Board of PFLAG NYC (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays). I was first asked, by Drew Tagliabue Executive Director, at the Immigration Equality Gala I blogged about a few weeks ago and I was really beside myself and quite honored. I feel that I have a lot to give to this board, bringing diversity with my youth and personal experience. Since our main focus is going to be the Safe Schools Program, I add a relatability factor to our presentation with the high school and middle school kids. It has been a major launching pad for my involvement in my platform and I'm super excited to give back through this new commitment. My 3-year term begins now!
So those are the facts; that was the day. Here is the cool part. I drive back from my lunch with Kirsten Haglund, can't find a parking spot, so I drive to the meeting at St. Bart's on 50th & Park Ave. I'm early so I walk to the front of the church and sit out on stairs in the sun, talking to my mom for 20 mins. She finally says "Hey it's 10 til, don't you think you should head on up?" So I do and agree to call her later. Elevator doors open and who's sitting there? JoJo. "whattt???" tears. In my favorite book, The Last Lecture, Randy Plausch writes, "I won the parent lottery." When I read this, I wrote it down in my journal because I. Did. Too. My parents just got back from a big hiking trip with lots of couples and both felt it was extremely important to have someone there to watch me get elected to MY board. My mom was on the school board for 8 years, and I remember the very first board meeting and the importance of our family in attendance. I'm so incredibly grateful and lucky to have the parents who will fly out to NY for the day to support me in the special moments in my life. My dad couldn't come because of work, but he was so happy that my mom could be there to represent both of them. When people at PFLAG met my mom, they got it. They understood me. Because I am who I am because of my family.
Call your family members and tell them you love them.
So those are the facts; that was the day. Here is the cool part. I drive back from my lunch with Kirsten Haglund, can't find a parking spot, so I drive to the meeting at St. Bart's on 50th & Park Ave. I'm early so I walk to the front of the church and sit out on stairs in the sun, talking to my mom for 20 mins. She finally says "Hey it's 10 til, don't you think you should head on up?" So I do and agree to call her later. Elevator doors open and who's sitting there? JoJo. "whattt???" tears. In my favorite book, The Last Lecture, Randy Plausch writes, "I won the parent lottery." When I read this, I wrote it down in my journal because I. Did. Too. My parents just got back from a big hiking trip with lots of couples and both felt it was extremely important to have someone there to watch me get elected to MY board. My mom was on the school board for 8 years, and I remember the very first board meeting and the importance of our family in attendance. I'm so incredibly grateful and lucky to have the parents who will fly out to NY for the day to support me in the special moments in my life. My dad couldn't come because of work, but he was so happy that my mom could be there to represent both of them. When people at PFLAG met my mom, they got it. They understood me. Because I am who I am because of my family.
Call your family members and tell them you love them.
posted by Claire Buffie, Miss Jubilee 2009 at
1:02 PM
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