Spotlight on Cookie

I revisited a letter that Sylvia wrote as Adrienne (“Droopydrawers”): http://wp.me/pSuoi-sw

It is one of the funnier and more playful letters. As Adrienne, Sylvia wrote, “I have the 2 most wonderful parents in the world – and pardon me for saying so, you two have the sweetest baby in the world.” And even in just a cute note about her baby who had only just begun to roll over, Sylvia noted, “A girl my age has to keep her eyes and ears open; she has to know what’s going on in the world.”

I think Adrienne has more than lived up to the notion that she has to be aware of the state of the world and the people living in it. Adrienne – or Cookie – has been a consistent character in this blog who has received very little attention compared with Alex and Sylvia. She is a spirited presence in the letters and she continues to be a spirited presence in my/her family’s life today. The letters here are often written to, from, and about Cookie though she cannot yet speak.

Adrienne is a wonderful aunt (who knew the key to my heart was and will always be huge chunks of chocolate), mother of three – adopting twins and having a baby almost simultaneously, and a doting grandmother. She has also been a loving sister to my dad, who wasn’t born yet when these letters were written.

Beyond her commitment to her family, Adrienne has dedicated her career to fighting for workers’ rights. In 2013, she received an award from the New Jersey Work Environment Council – the state’s longest standing labor/environmental coalition – recognizing her work as an Industrial Hygienist. Please read what they wrote below. It ends by referencing how Alex’s legacy continues through her work.

Finally, Adrienne is an artist. She is an accomplished potter and painter. This winter her work was on display in the Montclair Public Library and repeatedly graces the cover of the Montclair Events Calendar. Like the May 2016 cover here:

Adrienne lives her life in a way that embodies the beliefs espoused by Alex and Sylvia. The stories in this blog are certainly more hers than mine but she has graciously allowed and encouraged me to start to tell it. I think that everyone would benefit from hearing her voice as a part of this history.