December: Letter from Jeni
The holiday season is a time of great joy and wonder for me. It is also my favorite time to reflect on the past and intentionally design how I want to show up in the future. I find myself both incredibly excited to dive into celebrating Leadership Eastside’s 20th anniversary, while also concerned about the impacts to our community from an administration that prioritizes the strength and power of select individuals over the health and wellbeing of the collective. To help manage those concerns, I’ve chosen to stay hyper focused on our local community, where I can make an impact, and find myself leaning into the wisdom of two powerful young women who call us to be better humans: Amanda Gorman and Taylor Swift boldly show up in ways that both model what it means to create community and call us to rethink how we show up.
Images above: Nicole (daughter), Me & friend Tine Muenz; Amanda Gorman at the premier of Wicked, photo credit John McCoy/UPI; and me with Taylor Swift dancer Natalie Peterson from Kirkland.
Amongst the media sensation surrounding the new Wicked movie, one thing stands out to me, beyond its artistry, is the partnership with Amanda Gorman who wrote the poem Do Us Good. You can listen to the whole thing here, but these lines touch me the most:
“…There is a world we miss when we misbehave, but we miss just as much when we misconstrue. When we distrust what is different, and detest what is new.
History is written by the victors, and villains are embittered by the forcible and the few. But how we live, our children learn: What we earn when we’re earnest and what we forge when we forgive. Only with a decency do we discover: People are not born evil, we are born equal; green not with envy, but what we envision in each other. A sentimental mankind finding ourselves even in the dark.”
The poem continues to challenge us to see ourselves and our country for what we are, because only then can we try to make the changes required.
My second inspiration will surprise no one who has seen my social media feed this month: Taylor Swift. I have long been a secondary fan of Taylor Swift, thanks to my daughter who has played her music for years and shared the stories behind her lyrics. I have always been impressed with Taylor’s incredible songwriting and storytelling, as well as the way she engages and appreciates her fans and quietly supports the communities she visits on tour. She is fearless in the way she shows up! Her Eras Tour has highlighted the way she shows us how to lead and how we can move mountains if we work as a team. She encourages literally millions of people (283 million followers on Instagram) to show kindness and accept everyone as they are, and she empowers her fans to not let anyone step on their gowns when they're being their truest selves.
I was incredibly blessed to attend the second-to-last Eras Tour show on my 60th birthday. We had so much fun planning the trip, our outfits, and making friendship bracelets. What I didn’t expect was the impact of being in a space with 60,000 people who make it their mission to create an enchanted environment that is supportive and safe for everyone. It was a joyful celebration of community and I walked out wonderstruck, feeling like we CAN create the world we want to live in. I love these lyrics that Taylor wrote in honor of her grandmother:
“Never be so kind, you forget to be clever,
Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.
Never be so polite, you forget your power,
Never wield such power, you forget to be polite.”
When I think about the impact that bold, powerful voices have when they call us to be better, do better and demand better, I am filled with hope that we can work together to overcome differences. I will leave you with a favorite quote from Granada artist El Niño de las Pinturas:
“Illumina tu parte”
“The world is dark, illuminate your part”
As we look to the future of Leadership Eastside, my greatest hope is that we can be a resource for you to identify your piece of the world that you want to illuminate and support you in gaining the tools, skills and connections that you need to succeed.
Happy holidays and I look forward to seeing you in 2025.
Jeni
