Alderperson Vered Meltzer's (District 2) Invocation At 04/20/2022 Common Council Meeting

Mayor Woodford: Tonight's invocation will be delivered by Alderperson Meltzer.

Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2): Thank you. The invocation I'm going to deliver tonight is the very first invocation that I every delivered at Council in August of 2014. And I feel that with the seating of a new Council it's very timely to bring this particular invocation back. So, I hope you all enjoy.

Who am I? Am I the person that I want to be? Everyone asks themselves these questions and for those of us in the public eye who can serve as inspiration and role-models to others, these questions are all the more important. I think we all strive to be the same person. Someone who is confident and courageous. Someone who trusts themselves. Someone who gives and receives in equal balance and can be simultaneously responsible and creative. Someone who is always learning new things and always teaching others. Someone who loves their family, friends, and community. Someone who creates positive change in the world, who dispels illusions, and sees through deception. Someone who accepts no limits, resists stagnation, and embraces growth. We stand alone as individuals, but together we create a whole that is greater than its parts. We can turn endings into beginnings. We can all save the world. But we cannot do it alone. In order to be the person we want to be, we need to reach out to each other. We need to communicate with the intent to be understood rather than merely heard. And do do that, we need to listen, not just to each other but to ourselves.

Am I the person that I want to be? Do my words and actions make the world a better place for everyone? We must never stop asking these questions. Thank you.