I had heard of the NC Western Gala but had never been in town when it took place. I returned home on Friday from a work trip and skimmed through emails from the week. I noticed the Gala was on Saturday evening and took a moment to think about whether I had the energy to attend or not. I was tired, really, really tired. The past few months were catching up with me. And, this was important. One of the things that influenced my decision to move back to North Carolina was because I felt my voice, my contributions, my volunteerism, would have more impact here than in California. I decided to sleep on it.

On Saturday morning I received a text from my friend from college days, Justice Mark Davis, saying he was in town and could we catch up for coffee or a late lunch. I texted back an enthusiastic “yes!” because surprise get togethers are one of my favorite things in the whole world. And then I asked if by chance he was in town for the Western Gala. He was, and that tipped my decision to attend.

Over a delicious late lunch at Haywood Common we updated each other on family, on travels, on work, the talk that comes easily with good friends who you haven’t seen in a while. He mentioned he was recently in Winston-Salem attending shabbat services, and Rabbi Mark shared my father’s name as someone recently departed. The bittersweet feelings of happiness, pride, and sadness swept over me all at once. Gosh, I miss Dad. I miss being able to talk to him about work, about travels, about interesting articles I’ve read, about something I’ve seen that I know he’d be interested in. I miss telling jokes with and hearing jokes from him. I miss his ever present smile and gentle nature. I miss theological discussions with him, wondering what comes next, if there is a next. I miss discussing politics with him, and what the future of our nation is. I miss having us attend the Western Gala together.

The Gala was more fun than I expected. I met candidates running for local, state, and national offices, and chatted with them about where they stood on various issues. I had great conversations with new folks about what they felt were priorities for the state. I came away from the evening with such respect for those willing to run for office.

<shameless plug> If you are in North Carolina or not, I encourage you to support two candidates in particular, Justice Mark A Davis, the first Jewish American judge (ever!) on the NC Supreme Court (it took 200 years) and a dear friend, and Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, the first African American woman Chief Justice on the NC Supreme Court (ever!). One of the things I love about both of them is that they are real people – they’re easy to talk to and insatiably curious. They love North Carolina and the people who live here. They are dedicated to upholding the law and place that as a priority over party politics. I came away from the evening excited about the upcoming months and vowing to encourage everyone I know to vote or volunteer or contribute. </shameless plug>