Dear President Trump, It’s sort of awkward writing to you when you are already in tomorrow, but I suppose it isn’t that different from usual since you and I are rarely in the same time zone and we never occupy the same reality. How was it meeting with the Japanese families of people who were … Continue reading A tiny, precious miracle
Spiritual Practices
May we get over ourselves
Dear President Trump, It used to be that our church had two services, the first at 9 and the second at 11, with choir practice in between at 10. I thought that arrangement was pretty great; on mornings when I felt antsy and wanted to get on with the day, I could go at 9 … Continue reading May we get over ourselves
Marginalized voices
Dear President Trump, I told you yesterday that Laura and I took the dogs on a walking tour of the University campus to see the heron rookery. We tagged on visiting a couple of the newer buildings on campus that Laura wanted to show me with the idea that I could go in and check … Continue reading Marginalized voices
What’s real and needs attention
Dear President Trump, I’m well past the years when hormones regularly amped up my emotional tenderness. And before pressing on, no, such cycling is not a sign of female weakness or irrationality. Rather, it’s a built-in course-corrector or truth serum that puts us back in touch with what’s real and needs attention. I would go … Continue reading What’s real and needs attention
What a whacked situation
Dear President Trump, Hopefully with this 802nd consecutive day of writing to you we are well past the halfway mark of your presidency. Although I do harbor magical thinking fantasies that reason will prevail (sadly, in the current climate, this oxymoron does make sense), I’m under no illusions that you’ll be removed from office early; … Continue reading What a whacked situation
Gotta laugh
Dear President Trump, I think I mentioned last week that I laughed a lot more on the day when I didn’t have time to look at the news. If you cared a whit about me, you’d have wondered why I was bothering to tell you about my laugh frequency. Well, even though you could care … Continue reading Gotta laugh
Canaries in snowy coalmines
Dear President Trump, LOL – I almost wrote “Dear President Tramp.” It actually works pretty well if we consider the verb form; “ to walk heavily or stomp about.” You don’t do anything cautiously, let alone thoughtfully – you’re a stomper, for sure. Then there’s the noun form, which refers to someone who “travels from … Continue reading Canaries in snowy coalmines
Grappling with apologies for Lent
Dear President Trump, Today is the first day of Lent and so once again it’s time to work on letting go of an indulgence or habitual sin. I’ve been giving it some thought and what I’ve decided to work on is not engaging in reflexive, empty apologies. I rather doubt this is a behavior you … Continue reading Grappling with apologies for Lent
More growing pains
Dear President Trump, Because we were to sing in the service, Soul Choir folks sat together up towards the front of the sanctuary yesterday. I got to sit between the two oldest members of the choir, one of whom I know is 90 (she’s both very proud to lived so long and hates that she … Continue reading More growing pains
Beloved
Dear President Trump, Today was a churchy sort of day starting with soul choir practice at 9. We’re working on a beautiful song called “MLK” and the last few lines have been playing on repeat in my head for two weeks now, mostly just because of how they sound. I don’t really understand the significance … Continue reading Beloved