Dear Fellow Supporters of Democracy,
Yes, these are dark days and interesting times, and I surely feel your pain.
I have been speechless. Simply without words to express the depth and breadth of horror, sorrow, anger and pain of that still unshattered glass ceiling. Mystified that our fellow voters chose to invite a crooked con man back into our White House. Terrified of what the next four years may bring our way. Fortified knowing that we will face it with strength and valor.
And yes, we need to take time to grieve, to heal and begin to understand what happened. In Vice President Harris’ concession speech, she spoke about the darkness of the night sky revealing the stars. Those stars for me are the milestones during this campaign that have brought me great joy, hope, and a sense of accomplishment. It is these milestone memories that sustain me, and I hope will sustain you all and give you strength and guidance to carry on with the great work that we are doing together.
We elected Josh Riley to represent us in Congressional District 19! WE, all of us together, did this — against incredible odds raised by opponents spending oodles of money to spread lies about our candidate. WE did this. All of us, working together across a huge district did this.
We passed Prop 1. The DCDC fought against misleading propaganda and joined forces statewide to support a Yes vote that will ensure our abortion rights and personal freedoms.
Three (count ‘em, three!) extraordinary women of Delaware County stepped up and ran exemplary campaigns for state office – Michele Frazier (SS51), Janet Tweed (AD102), and Vicki Davis (AD121). Those campaigns gave voters a clear choice of candidates and the opportunity to talk about issues they care about. Although they did not win their elections, they did lay a groundwork for future campaigns and have all urged their supporters to run for office as well.
We gave it our all. We left nothing undone. We knocked the next door, made one more call, donated till it hurt. Coach Walz would be proud – we left it all on the field. We distributed thousands of yard signs and tens of thousands of flyers. We talked with our neighbors and families and friends making sure they voted. We voted. No regrets.
And most importantly, we met new friends and have built a community of like-minded people working together to save our democracy and to elect leaders we know will represent us well.
I ask us all to take care of ourselves and to support each other through our sadness and despair. Let’s nurture those relationships started this past year. We will need to stick together and stay engaged in community. We must acknowledge our power, individually and together, as we plan and act quickly and decisively against any and every attempt to limit our freedoms or weaken our democracy.
We didn’t get the outcome we wanted. But I think all of us have known in some part of our being that our work would not be done with this election no matter the outcome. My personal star moment in the 2024 campaign was waving the American flag at the DNC –– feeling pride being there as your representative and feeling in awe of the moment. The exhilaration of joy, unity and freedom resonated in my heart and my very bones. I wanted then and continue to want to bring that promise of freedom and justice for all into reality and I’m willing to stay in this fight for as long as it takes. I hope you will stick with it, too. We won’t go back. We simply won’t.
It’s been a rollercoaster week of emotions, so hope this bit of good news will heighten your spirit. On Monday, November 4, the results of my PET scan checkup done last week were posted in my online health chart. The summary statement, “The right pulmonary mass, right sacral alar metastasis, and right mediastinal FDG avid adenopathy have completely resolved,” looked promising. And yesterday my doctor confirmed what I’d been hoping was true –– the cancer in my lungs, lymph nodes, and bone is completely resolved. As in healed. As in gone. As in ring the bell, folks! Woohoo!
I’ll be getting preventative care treatments for the next couple of years, but yup! I’m back, y’all!
Your calls, cards, letters, texts, flowers, gifts, rides, tonics, books, delicious meals, and most importantly, your prayers and your caring have sustained me this summer into fall. Your stepping up and volunteering with enthusiasm has inspired me! I can never thank you enough. Rest assured I will pay it forward.
Our next DCDC business meeting is Wednesday, November 20, 6pm. Please mark your calendars as we will be debriefing the 2024 campaign and beginning the planning for 2025.
And there’s plenty of room on the bench for more players, so step right up! We’d love to have you join us!
Onward, y’all!
Kathleen Hayek, Chair, DCDC
PS: Here’s our little terror, Milagro, at teenager size.
He’s the sole survivor of a litter of abandoned kitties found in our backyard about the same time we learned of my diagnosis. He just insists, despite impossible odds, on living and being an adorable part of our lives. He gets me through the dark hours with joy and fascination. Kitty power is a real thing!