17 Tablecloths

I’ve always been a fiercely loyal leader. Whether it was as captain of the cheerleading team, a manager at college town restaurants, or an executive in the market research industry, one of my most passionate interests has always been my “crew.”

Earlier this year, I made the emotionally conflicting decision to leave my professional crew for a new one. While I was ecstatic for the new opportunity, it was incredibly difficult to leave a team that in many ways I feel like I personally curated. We were a special group, and we did incredible things.

Several weeks into my new job, my dad passed away. While he had been suffering from various stages of cancer for the last 10 years, his death was sudden, and I was completely unprepared. This happened at the same time as starting in a new company where I hadn’t yet established myself – which frankly left me feeling confused, sad, and anxious. Luckily, my new company is comprised of incredible human beings who immediately formed a support system around me. Out of necessity, we had to short-cut much of the typical rapport and trust-building process and get straight to the genuine interactions that define a company’s culture. I will always look back on this time in my life and remember how fortunate I was to be accepted into this new crew.

When it came time to plan my dad’s memorial service, I was overwhelmed with logistics. But just as my dad would have done, I made a list – and on my long list of things to figure out, was tablecloths. This might seem trivial to many, but to me, tablecloths were a core visual component of what I hoped would be a beautiful experience for my dad’s loved ones. And I was stressed about it.

So, what did I do with my “tablecloth stress”? I reached out to the co-captains from my old crew – two individuals who have been by my side through everything in the past few years. And what did they say? “Jess, we got you.”

Suddenly, I had tablecloths delivered to my house daily. Team members from the past decade were filling my tablecloth quota with gingham, floral, and striped designs in a beautiful array of colors. Each one arrived from someone in my life that I respected, admired, and appreciated. With every package I opened, I felt joy and relief – two emotions I hadn’t felt since losing my dad.

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot, and here’s the thing: my crew showed up for me. My dad spent 45 years as a construction superintendent, and I can’t tell you how inspired, how fulfilled, how proud he would have been to see this rally of support. We stitched a new thread into his long legacy of leadership.

More than any other emotion, I am grateful. Grateful to my dad for instilling fierce loyalty in me, for the talented people in my life who have given me the honor of leading, and for the crew I am lucky to be a part of – past and present.

And as for those 17 tablecloths, they are now family heirlooms that will witness many festivities. They will host holiday meals with drips of gravy and wine; birthdays and graduations with celebratory candles; and vases of wildflowers at future celebrations of life. And every time I set a table, I will remember the crew that showed up for me. And I will be grateful.

To my co-captains Shirey Lane Asquith and Carly Shira , thank you.

And to my crew, thank you.

Molly Wright Jessie Janego Higgins Erica Jorn Lisa Callanan Lisa Schumacher Ryan Maher Christine Ciullo Dilara Sharifi John Eigenbrood Eli Sawick Matthew Young David Graehler Emiliano (Mil) Bara Kelly Nielsen Matt Arnold Rebecca Kozerski Paul Gaudette Dominic Atkinson Ian Ash Brad Newman - CPA, CA Michael Edwards Meagan Healey Rob Wengel Renee Smith Kelly Port Kim Gaskins