“Of all the forces that exerted on us over our lifetime, at least for me, love has been the most powerful of all. As our population increases, our planet becomes smaller and smaller. It’s therefore very important that we all learn how to love and accept each other and whenever that’s not possible, at least learn how to tolerate one another. I learned that very valuable lesson early on in life because of changing in cultures. I moved from Greece to United States, and to this day, people ask me “Are you Greek, or are you American?” I’m a human being, just like all of us. And then I am Greek or American or Chinese or Indian. We must come to understand that there are as many ways to live lives as there are people on this planet. 2,500 years ago, Socrates said a perfect human being is all human beings put together. It is collective. It is a we. It is all of us together that makes perfection.” – Yanni.

There are two people whom I encountered in 2019, that impact the way in which I behave. These two persons are not known by googling, nor have a world-class status from which everyone wants to become followers. These persons, however, have profound stories that I would like to no longer keep to myself, and rather, to take 2020 International Women Day as an opportunity to share beyond the walls of our workplace: A message of We.

Aida Hamshari

Aida and I had a short 4 month encounter. We were in different teams but it didn’t feel that way. As a newcomer on the new job, I was drinking from the fire hose, knee-deep in learning, documenting, meeting, questioning, testing theories, re-framing the issues, and prototyping financial models, so to speak. I did not spend some energy and time to learn about the people. When Aida returned from her vacation, she came to meet me bearing gift – a small kangaroo key chain as a souvenir. That was the first time I met her, and experienced the infamous Aida’s hug. It wasn’t a clash of bodies. It wasn’t a 3-pats-on-the-back, nor a one-arm side-swipes. It was a complete Gretchen Rubin’s six-second, mood-boosting, electrifying, strong embrace and connect. When we loosened our squeeze, separated our steps, the transmission continues.

I felt love, unity, joy, inclusive, uplifted. Those feelings feed my flame everyday.

Aida comes from a family that breached the conventional wisdom of “only boys get to do college.” At those time, higher education institutions were actively seeking diversity for its student body and Aida was one of the few scholars selected to receive exemplary education at Santa Clara University. Her journey expanded to many paths, but the one imprinted on me was her tireless belief in service for others. Aida cooks and delivers food to homeless shelters every week. She would make more than one potluck dish to participate in the office gatherings. She even cooked to feed many of us during her own retirement luncheon. And whenever she returns to visit her colleagues, you could bet Aida would bring something from her kitchen! Almost everyone I asked would tell the same truth.

Aida is a woman of faith, inclusive, and compassion.

Marguerete Moses

The most courageous person in my days! Rete supported the organization in more ways than one can imagine, and in more years than I can measure up. Rete has breadth and depth across units and teams, and has impacted many individuals that look up to her. Rete owns her space and standards of a very composed and humble person. Our conversations always start with my inquiry of “How are you doing?” and her signature answer: “Just peachy!” Her responses were never a casual “drop and go” type of chat, but the kind that carries purpose and interests in others. She listens, articulates, offers wisdom when asked, and equally affirms her belief in a shared vision, when needed.

I receive an element of equanimity from her, practice gratitude by her syllabus, the confidence to apply Indra Nooyi’s wisdom: “be aware of the politics, but do not play it”.

The part where it makes me (and breaks me at the same time) is Rete’s bold decision to spice up her career after 20+ years of dedicated contributions. I can only count on one hand, a number of people who stay in the same position for that many days. Stepping into the new and uncharted water requires tremendous motivation and courage, especially so when you spend more than 1/5 of a century making a difference in people’ lives. At her farewell gathering, colleagues shared many stories, and the correlation is that

Rete – woman of courage, catalyst for change, and champion for equality.

2020 #IWD theme is #EachforEqual. I intentionally excluded all details of our roles at work. It does not carry meaning. The majority of the people will hardly remember the titles we hold, the degrees we earn, or number of hours we put into our jobs. Those attributes are not something we want people to remember, but rather the persona that we present. A lot of us will remember how Aida hugs and the way she transmits energy and includes others. A lot of us will also know how to lead the life of courage and uplift others because Rete has paved the way. To get there, let’s elevate our sense of “we”.