Year in Review...

Today is my birthday. I am in the first year of my fourth decade and am incredibly fortunate. I have a wonderful life in all regards: loving family and great guy, long time wonderful friends, good health and we love living in East Haddam. I enjoy all of it– yet am ready to start on a new challenge. Let me explain.

Last year started out perfectly and I embraced turning forty. I loved my job as the part-time Economic Development Coordinator for East Haddam. My kids were doing great in school, in sports and in their other activities. We enjoyed some wonderful fishing trips and made some great plans for the summer—including camping at two beautiful Connecticut State Parks. Life was busy, even hectic: spending evenings at the baseball field with my son and husband, volunteering at Gillette Castle, attending to the needs of our garden and home (which we had built ourselves), and planning for my 16-year-old year old daughter to travel with her friend to China for the summer. But, everything changed in July, when my dear friend Lynne died suddenly in Vermont.

Last summer was extremely difficult for my family and me, as I spent most of it in Vermont. Fortunately, my co-workers were very flexible, and their generosity made a very difficult situation much easier to bear. It really helped to know that I could concentrate on what mattered most. After an extended leave of absence from my job and volunteer commitments, by fate one morning, I listened to a graduation speech given by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple. He had passed away just the day before and a few internet outlets were broadcasting his speech to the 2005 graduating class of Stanford University. He told three stories to the graduating class and one was about death. He said, “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” You can watch the inspiring video here. I hope you will find it as moving as I still do, today.

That brief description summed up my experiences in July and August last year, after dealing with Lynne’s sudden and horrible death. Listening to the speech had finalized several weeks of introspection concerning my professional and personal goals, and it led to several key decisions. One of those decisions was to resign from a wonderful position with the Town of East Haddam. Another was to focus more on my family. The third was the decision to follow my dreams and run for statewide elective office – because, as I learned, life is terribly short. So, over the last six months I have been able to spend that time with my family, including teaching my daughter how to drive! I am grateful for the gifts my friend left me. Those gifts included the gift of time, allowing me the ability to slow down and embrace life; as well as endure the arduous task of quitting smoking after almost 20 years.

By the beginning of 2012, it became clear that the office of State Representative was the best fit for me, my skills and my passion.  The recent re-districting effort had created a new 34th State Assembly district that now encompasses my childhood hometown of East Hampton, my adolescent and adult hometown of East Haddam, and a nearby part of Colchester where many of my friends live. In short, I have spent my whole life in this area. It would be an honor for me to work for the citizens of these three Towns, to represent and advocate for them in Hartford, to communicate what is happening in Hartford, to promote and grow our local economy, and to work to protect our natural resources.

Today, as I turn forty-one, I am absolutely thrilled to be doing what I love and my gratitude is over-flowing. Besides continuing to work with small businesses as a social media consultant, I have been busy highlighting the issues in Hartford, meeting with district wide and state leaders and staying active in our community. You can follow along, too...at melissaziobron.blogspot.com. In my quietest moments, I know my very dear friend Lynne would approve. Every so often I think I might hear her say, “Go for it Lady!”