“Growing up, my grandmother was one of the most influential people in my life. I remember getting dressed up for special lunches with her, just the two of us. I remember traveling with her and experiencing so many different cities and places. Now I am a grandma, and I have tried to share similar experiences with my granddaughters. From the dressed up lunches to traveling together, I love getting to share the moments that I loved growing up with them and experience the memories again from their perspective.
I think it is crucial to understand and support the different perspectives and needs of others in my community. I moved to the Upper Valley a few years ago to be close to my son and his daughters in Boston, but I have lived in many states up and down the West Coast. I always join Democratic groups and committees as a way to engage with my political views as well as with my community in general. I am chair of the Lebanon Democrats now, and I have made many friends through this group. It is often hard to feel like you are an impactful member of your community when you live outside a city surrounded by so many people, but here the people with whom I spend one night at a Democratic council meeting may be the people I take a cooking class with at the Coop the next day. This community connection brings more respect to politics than I have experienced anywhere else I have lived.
When covid is over, I cannot wait to spend more time with my family and friends. My son is a doctor, so visiting has not been safe and my granddaughters both go to college on the West Coast. I am excited for more experiences with all of them, and I am also excited for more experiences in the Upper Valley. I already care so deeply for this place and the people in it and I am ready for more time, away from my computer screen, interacting with this community and hopefully working to make sure we can all be happy and healthy in it.” -Nancy Graham, Lebanon, NH
