I’m writing this during the lunch intermission of the first day of the new legislative session. I wanted to thank everyone who voted for me, boosted me, supported me in every conceivable way.

My partner, Justin Burrows, promised he would get me here to this day, and he did. He stayed fervently by my side at my worst and at my best, and has supported me at every turn and every inch. Thank you, my dear Justin, and my two spirited boys, Jasper Burrows and Lee Burrows. I may look like one person out here, but I am actually several people, and I wouldn’t and couldn’t be here without these guys. It all matters. Thank you to my mother, Elizabeth Weber, my parents-in-law, Jon Burrows and Katie Burrows. Your support, pride, cheerleading, and love have carried me through some tough days. Thank you to my brothers, Mark and Tim Cornell, and their respective wives, Elizabeth Taggart and Elizabeth Cornell. 

Art Keating, who opened the door to this part of my life with a promise swiftly broken (“You won’t have to do any public speaking.” Wink, wink), and Zach Ralph Watson, who first put the bee in my bonnet about running for office in late February of 2020—- both of whom supported me in profound and powerful ways. Thank you. You are both decent men. 

I will work every day to live up to the responsibilities you all had the faith to give me. I will work collaboratively, respectfully, transparently; I will engage with my colleagues in the legislature but keep in my heart the people who ground me and keep me who I am, back at home in my district. 

We were told on the first day of legislature orientation, on November 17th, that we ought to write down our values and keep them close at hand. One of mine is inclusivity, the lifting of everyone. That means helping Vermonters who need a hand, but also not inadvertently creating need or depriving anyone of the freedom and beauty of life here, as well as not creating unnecessary division. These are ideals to which I am deeply committed; others include work based in decency, integrity, compassion, and ethics. 

I began this day with profound hope charging through me, tempered by worry and compounded by fire. I am ending this day, January 6, 2021, with profound hope charging through me, tempered by worry and compounded by fire. As our country’s sacred formalities, which I took part in earlier today for our state, and which today are wrecked in other ways at the hand of our petulant president and his insurrectionist followers, I look to my left and right, and I see love in the eyes of our fellowship of community members, and while we may face collective crisis, we will also collectively take part in its resurrection. 

Peace to you.