A time to reflect

by Jessica Garvin

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From the Desk of Sen. Jessica Garvin

As we approach Thanksgiving, I cannot help but look back over the past year and thank God for each day of 2022, the good and the bad. This year has been one of many challenges, including my mother’s battle with cancer, the loss of a close friend, a new career path, and the daily battles we all face as parents, spouses, friends, co-workers, and the many other roles we play. Every day had a battle of its own, some big and some small, but nevertheless, an opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally.

I’ve had opportunities this year to do things I never imagined, like visiting Washington D.C. on Independence Day and standing underneath the fireworks on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, listening to my eight-year-old daughter read the 19th Amendment right off the original parchment paper, and flying in a Blackhawk Helicopter during a weekend with Leadership Oklahoma. There have been moments that will be etched into my memory forever, like watching my eleven-year-old son tear up during the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watching my mother ring the bell after her very last cancer treatment.

I took a giant leap of faith a few months ago and left my job at Gregston’s Nursing Home, where I have worked for the past nine years, moved out of the house where we brought two of our three children home from the hospital, and watched our youngest daughter walk into “big girl school” for her first time on the same day we watched our son walk into the elementary school for his last “first day” before middle school next fall.

Through all these experiences, I’ve grown as a person and I believe that despite the hardships of 2022, I’m coming out of it a stronger leader, a better wife and mother, a more dedicated daughter, a more well-rounded colleague, and with a much more thankful heart. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings of the past year, but I believe it’s also the perfect time to reflect on the times where I didn’t feel so blessed, the times I’ve struggled, and to be thankful for the times I’ve had that have given me a chance to lean more on God, my family and my friends, and rely less on myself to get through the hard times. This year has given me a chance to realize how blessed I am by so many of you in Senate District 43 and I thank God for the opportunities I have had throughout the year to give back to so many of you.

I’ve had an opportunity this year to help people in ways I never thought possible and in some of the darkest times in their lives – that would have never happened if not for your continued support, generosity, prayers, and friendship. I hope you all know that at the end of every day, I pray for your success, your health, your families, and that God blesses each of you as much as you have all blessed me. The trust you have put in my family and me to serve you and yours is the greatest honor of my life and no matter what the next two years may bring, I pray you know how thankful I am for you, not just on Thanksgiving, but for every day that I have the opportunity to call you not only “constituents,” but most importantly, to call you my friends.

To contact me at the Capitol, please write to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 237, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate.gov or call (405) 521-5522.