Joyfully Working for Change

I am in my third year as a board member of First Shift Justice Project and my favorite thing about this incredible organization is the space to be joyful as we work for change. As the organization celebrates its 10 year anniversary and I celebrate 10 years of parenting two kids, I think about how many impossible standards are applied to parents. What would it be like to parent without constantly striving for perfection? Letting go of the standard of perfection makes room for progress and helps to cultivate joy. 

I grew up with two parents who worked outside the home and had front row seats to the experience of juggling parenting logistics with working demands. Since I became a parent, I am now intimately familiar with the intense wish for more time, energy, and resources to do more and the guilt when I feel like I am not doing enough. However, one of the many gifts of being connected to the First Shift Justice Project is the chance to Dance Like a Mother. Our annual fundraiser is a multi-generational dance party. One of my favorite things is dancing with my dad. He brings joy into every space he enters and, like my son, is never happier than on a dance floor. This year, I got to dance with my dad, my kids, and friends who joined us. 

We were running late, got stuck in traffic, and had trouble finding parking. I felt bad for our tardiness and the kids were cranky. I took some deep breaths, ate some food, and asked my dad to dance. I asked the kids to dance to two songs and then we could leave. As soon as we hit the dance floor, no one wanted to leave. 

The juxtaposition of dancing together against the backdrop of the need for more workplace equity is striking. I am proud to keep dancing for change and making it possible for First Shift Justice Project to work on every aspect of supporting caregivers, from helping them get access to Paid Family Leave benefits to training doctors to write accommodation letters.  The incredible ED, Laura Brown, has also been on the front lines of creating important legislative change that helps all workers, including expanding paid family leave benefits and passing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.  

In this new era, I hope that we can continue joyfully dancing towards change.

Jaspreet Chowdhary, First Shift Board