My big day at the UN
Last week Avon invited me to an event at the United Nations in celebration of International Women’s Day. I was invited because of the award I won last year, for the “Hello Tomorrow Fund”…I have to be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I went. I wouldn’t have even been surprised if I was shuffled to the back or made to collect coats (my “day job” has lately led me to expect the worst at all times!)
Instead I had the amazing experience of sitting 10 feet from Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, a truly inspirining woman. I was 10 feet also from Reese Witherspoon who is JUST as cute in real life as she is in the movies. They gave a private talk to the 12 of us winners (of the 100 overall, to date) who were there about how important we were and how inspiring we were to the folks at Avon…so nice! I was asking all the other winners, what they’d won for–amazing things like helping women escape domestic violence, helping women released from prison find jobs, and the like. I’d answer in response to “What did you win for?” “A forum for working mothers…” thinking that maybe that wouldn’t seem as “important”. On the contrary. Everyone there said “That’s SO important!” And wanted to hear all about the forum, what options were out there, etc. Made me feel great, and inspired (it’s so important to have that periodic shot in the arm!) And like I was involved in something that was worthwhile and important. OH! And I even cried on the PATH train on the way home, as I flipped through Avon’s global brochure and found a picture of myself and my twins as an example of one of the winners.
After our “private lunch” we then got to go to the big room where the delegates meet, where you can hang the translator-things over your ear (fyi: possibly the reason not a ton gets done at the UN is because you can’t hear a THING through those). So very exciting and made me feel very VIP-ish.
Then I came home and my husband and the girls reinforced that I’m not, in fact, VIP ish at all. Or, that I’m important as a MOM, someone who needs to feed/bathe/clean/laundry sort/drive etc etc and celebrity meetings aside, I’d better hop to it. Regardless, gave me the push I needed and I certainly encourage anyone who’s got a great idea to investigate the AVON Hello Tomorrow Fund, set up to fund women “changing the world and empowering women”.
Here’s a (horrible) picture of me and Suze Ormon–a judge of the Hello Tomorrow Fund, and another women doing great things, for women…and I’ll certainly let everyone know if I start hanging out with Reese.