Dear President Trump, I’m not sure whether it’s the time of the year (December is a tough month for crappy trauma anniversaries) or because I’ve not been sleeping well (which could be related to the first possibility), but I had another close-to-tears episode today. It was the end of a long day and my boss … Continue reading Three positive bits
Love and Compassion
Love stronger
Dear President Trump, My right foot is still not healed up enough to run so I’ve been taking walks. Today’s was fairly ambitious in that it was two miles round trip to see the glacial anomaly I told you about in May. Along the way is that bush where someone hung index cards after your … Continue reading Love stronger
Standing in the gap (3)
Dear President Trump, Both the caring letters suicide intervention and the program to curb cycles of violence for young black men profiled in the HP remind me of something Mother Teresa’s said: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of not belonging.” There are probably just about as many … Continue reading Standing in the gap (3)
Standing in the gap (2)
Dear President Trump, The second HP piece in what I’m calling their “standing in the gap” series, is about a program developed by Dr. Joseph Richardson Jr., at the University of Maryland. It’s designed for young black men who’ve been hospitalized two or more times because of gunshot or stabbing wounds. The idea is to … Continue reading Standing in the gap (2)
Standing in the gap (1)
Dear President Trump, In the last two weeks or so the HP has published several long pieces that all focus on different rips in collective care taking and ways that people are trying to stand in these gaps. The one I’m going to focus on today is about an old way of addressing suicidality that’s … Continue reading Standing in the gap (1)
Still plenty of trash
Dear President Trump, Yep, there was still plenty of trash to pick up this morning. I found a bunch in the first couple of blocks and was grateful to be able to deposit it in one of the little citizen maintained trash bins attached to parking signs along my route. Later when I hit the … Continue reading Still plenty of trash
Crying sort of day
Dear President Trump, The first time I cried yesterday was when I was perusing the new Sunset magazine celebrating their 120th anniversary. On the sides of most the pages are little pictures and snippets of significant Western events over the years. I was doing fine until I got to the picture of a four- or … Continue reading Crying sort of day
“Love moves the world towards love”
Dear President Trump, I think I’ve told you before that at the beginning of my now 466 page document holding all my letters to you there are a couple of pages of random quotes and ideas that I’ve collected for possible incorporation into some-day letters. I usually just scroll past these bits to the beginning … Continue reading “Love moves the world towards love”
Compassion is hard
Dear President Trump, Recently I was talking with one of my colleagues about how the terms loving-kindness and compassion are often used interchangeably. He was making a strong argument for greater precision and I was trying to follow, but not really understanding the big deal so I finally said as much. He explained that loving-kindness … Continue reading Compassion is hard
Pretty lovely
Dear President Trump, Today I saw and heard things that give me hope that we have the capacity to be ok, that we can come through this sad, infuriating, broken time of ours and be ok. This afternoon we went to the Total Experience Gospel Choir’s farewell concert honoring Pastor Patrinell Wright. It was in … Continue reading Pretty lovely
Daily Trump Letters 