Dear President Trump, This morning we encountered an unexpected traffic snarl when we took my brother’s birthday card to the post office. The plan was to mail it there so it will get to him by Tuesday (hopefully) and then walk the dogs in that neighborhood to mix things up. We didn’t realize that the … Continue reading Peace and quiet
Positives
Tarana Burke is bending the moral arc towards justice
Dear President Trump, I just watched Tarana Burke’s TED talk. Ms. Burke started the Me Too movement 10 years ago and she offered a sobering analysis of where the movement is now and how incredibly far it is from its original intent, which was to foster empathy between survivors. She described being numb and exhausted, … Continue reading Tarana Burke is bending the moral arc towards justice
Further thoughts on standing in gaps
Dear President Trump, I’ve been using the phrase “standing in the gap” as a bit of shorthand in my recent letters to you focusing on efforts to foster belonging and healthy attachment both because it’s familiar and because it conjures the image of someone standing in the in-between, reaching out to either side to form … Continue reading Further thoughts on standing in gaps
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)
The imperative of doing things we love
Dear President Trump, This morning Laura and I went to a nearby coffee shop to meet an old friend of hers. They get together to catch up a couple of times a year and since I took the day off, I tagged along. It was lovely meeting her friend and getting to hear about their … Continue reading The imperative of doing things we love
Yay for handy trash cans!
Dear President Trump, With so much vitriol and sadness slamming us on the national front as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday in a couple of days, I think I want to pull in a bit and focus today on some positives. You maybe saw this if you were up early when it was still … Continue reading Yay for handy trash cans!
Birthpangs
Dear President Trump, This morning in church the lectionary (Mark 13:1-8) was about Jesus foretelling the fall of an idolized and idealized 1,000 year-old temple. He warned that there would be much additional disruption and chaos, but told his disciples not to worry because this is just the beginning of the birthpangs. It wasn’t Revelations … Continue reading Birthpangs
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
Daily Trump Letters 