A short story: a lesson I learned about victory, and about activism, from my Mother, Frances Avallone, State Coordinator of New Jersey Right to Choose for over two decades.

Here she is. Doing her thing. In the late eighties/early nineties, I think.

1/?

I was seven when Richard Nixon won re-election, in a landslide. I was baffled. I had handed out McGovern fliers at the State Fair that summer. How? How could how many Americans worship this MONSTER, even in the middle of Vietnam, even in the middle of Watergate? 2/?

Mom explained to me that a lot of Americans didn't feel the same way about things as Mommy and Daddy, and it was heartbreaking, but we still loved America and -- more to the point -- what America STANDS for, rather than how it IS. 3/?

She, and my Father, convinced me this was the work of any good citizen: hold America to its highest principles. Make "All men are created equal" -- a hypocritical lie in the mouth of the slaver who wrote it -- into reality. Into truth.

4/?

It's why I loved it when Obama always referenced the implication in the Preamble to the Constitution: we're here to perfect the Union. A "more perfect Union" is achievable, but requires hard work.

5/?

My Mom's hard work with Right to Choose, along with the work of so many other devoted activists, built the campaign to make abortion safe and legal in the United States of America. That work bore fruit in 1973, with the Roe v. Wade decision.

6/?

I was eight years old. Still, it was my Mother's life's work, and I understood it as well as an eight year old can.

So when we achieve victory with Roe v. Wade, we were, of course, overjoyed. A great thing had been accomplished. A great battle had been won.

But not a war.

7/?

And here's the lesson, if you didn't see it coming.

I said to my Mom, "So... we won! It's over, right?"

My Mom smiled patiently. "We won, and it's great, and we're thrilled. We've done a great good thing..."

8/?

"...but," she continued, "It's never over. It will never be over. I will be fighting to preserve this right, this freedom, for the rest of my life. They will never give up, so we will never give up."

9/?

I have never, ever forgotten that lesson.

I have ALSO never, ever let it cast a pall over ANY victory.

If we can't celebrate victories we're begging to be burned out, joyless shells.

Fran Avallone never gave up. Never lost hope. Always kept fighting. And so shall we.

10/?

In 1977, my mom attended the National Women's Conference, as a delegate from New Jersey.

Never give up.

11/?

Unlike my Mom... I have never been a full-time activist. I knew it wasn't my particular skill set (I am TERRIBLE at fundraising). I lack her patience.

But. It's always been a part of my life, largely because of her influence.

12/?

In 1979, all of fourteen years old, I wandered the halls of Congress, lobbying for abortion rights, and the preservation of equal rights.

We hit the House and the Senate.

Bill Bradley was VERY tall.

13/?

Side note: "lobbyist" has been turned by some into a dirty word. Don't forget gun control is a lobby, immigrant's rights is a lobby, etc.

These days, a lot of my activism is funneled through the 501c3 @AIsForOrg. You should follow them, and donate to them.

14/?

To wrap up: this isn't an original thought, but I think today it needs to be said out loud by as many people as possible, hence this thread.

Today we celebrate a HUGE, consequential, epoch-making victory.

15/?

Tonight, dance with Ewoks, hug your fellow rebels, cry with relief and joy.

Tomorrow, we fight, and we never stop fighting, never stop perfecting our Union.

Congratulations, all, on blowing up this Death Star.

My mom would have been happy today.

Thanks for reading.

16/16

Epilogue: why did my mom get involved in the movement?

Here's why.

We need to save America from experiences like my mother had in 1963. http://bit.ly/AIsForFran