Dear President Trump,

I’m afraid Ted Koppel is right (WP op ed) that many of us are addicted to you and the drama you ignite on a near-hourly basis and that we aren’t going to simply ignore you when you finally leave office. He warns that for many, you’ll be the martyred ex-leader who righteously works to take down whoever is the next president or three (depending how much longer you live and can work your phone). For others you’ll be the evil clown who makes regular vicious attacks that somehow can’t be ignored. Koppel didn’t use such strong language, but he was clear that he doesn’t see you fading into the woodwork when you leave the White House and he doesn’t see our sick attachments to you giving way anytime soon.

It’s a fair assessment and one I need to heed. When I first started this practice of sending you a loving-kindness prayer (remember, they did start out just to you) along with thoughts and reactions to what is going on, I hoped it might be constructive and might keep me from becoming totally embittered and depressed. I committed to doing it every day because I didn’t think I could sustain a “when I feel like it” practice. I’m absolutely certain I was right about that and I think overall it has been helpful to me since I don’t feel as powerless and trod upon as I would if I weren’t tilting at the windmill of your administration and the ills that got us here. And, I need to be mindful that I don’t get too wrapped up in being the weird woman from Seattle who writes to you every day.

Plus, you are a useful idiot on so many levels and we need to be careful not to buy the easy notion that this mess we’ve been making for so long is either all your fault or will miraculously be even 50% better once you’re consigned to shouting from the sidelines.

In other, critically important (for real) news, I’m excited that Maxine Waters will be heading the House Financial Services Committee. The committee plans to focus on affordable housing and homelessness and this is good news, indeed. Even if you and the Senate GOP stonewall their efforts for the next two years (that’s the most time either of you have), bringing attention to this real humanitarian crisis within our borders will help shift the conversation and make even plainer the heartless greed driving you all.

May we all have safe, comfortable places to live.
May we be happy to create communities where everyone feels welcome.
May we maintain a healthy balance between vigilance and living life.
May we all hold each other, including you, in radical, peaceful regard.

Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson