Lunar New Year Celebration and Appreciation

I want to take the time to thank everyone who supported, participated, and showed up for Brightworks' first ever Lunar New Year celebration! Let's bang the Chinese drums because it was a success and we did it! What a way to start the morning, as so many students and staff showed up to school wearing red. It warmed my heart and gave me a gift of peace knowing you showed up and offered your love in that way.

I received excitement from both our Asian and Non-Asian students and staff, and many shared how they also celebrate this joyous occasion with their families and friends. It really brought me a lot of comfort to hear, especially from those who don't identify.

It was a proud moment to see our good friend Andy read aloud his wonderful book about loving yourself because being different is a good thing and to own it with pride. The show of hands of staff and students who were witnessing their first Lion Dance performance and watching everyone's smiles and hands reach out to pet the lions brought me so much joy! Thank you all for embracing that wonderful afternoon!

Coming off the high and adrenaline of planning a special holiday event for the school, to switching gears to create the magic for my daughter at home, and then to wake up on Lunar New Year to the devastating news of the mass shooting upon similar families celebrating their own Lunar New Year's Eve celebration. To say it shook me a bit is an understatement. For me, it was knowing that families like mine were mourning their loved ones on one of the most important holidays for us. I had just taken our daughter to Stockton Street (the heart of Chinatown) to buy all our traditional groceries for our "Chun Neen" (Closing of the year) LNY Eve dinner and our "Hoy Neen" (Opening of the year) dinner. Having to manage the emotional rollercoaster of this festive and non-festive weekend for our communities was a lot... so I wanted to say a little something to lift our spirits.

2023 is year of the Rabbit, which brings a much more gentle and tender touch. This is the year for HOPE. Let's start this year with a more gentle, hopeful, and relaxed energy than last year. Let's encourage creating balance and contemplation. Let's be flexible, adjust plans accordingly, and focus on building renewed relationships with each other.

I am inspired by my partner Sergio and sister Michlene who continue to push for equity and encouraging us all to be seen. One way I can show up is helping in my small way to expose this community to show more compassion, empathy, and a respect for all cultures like mine. Thanks again for making space for us and embracing our first Lunar New Year celebration at Brightworks. I have some new ideas brewing for next year and am excited to make it bigger and even better.

—Freya