Dear President Trump, I just checked your schedule for today and it looks like you took this Labor Day off. Don’t presidents usually do some pro-labor sort of thing on Labor Day? I just Googled “President Obama Labor Day” and found a slew of recordings of Labor Day addresses he gave over the years. Hmm. … Continue reading The finite nature of nature’s capacity
Reality is a hard place to live
Dear President Trump, On the way home from church today there was huge cloud formation that looked just like a person lying on their back. The head was to the South, the arms angled out to the sides, and the legs pointed North. I was on the freeway so I could only take quick little … Continue reading Reality is a hard place to live
May we make peace to honor those we love
Dear President Trump, This morning we did some de-cluttering. Laura says she just wants to do it now and again because it needs to be done (which is true), but I think she really enjoys it (which is fine). The stacks of books and papers on the dining room table are now smaller and more … Continue reading May we make peace to honor those we love
Cowardly abuses of power
Dear President Trump, You will no doubt dismiss the new WP-ABC poll numbers as so much fake news, but I’m sure you are studying them carefully to figure out how to best calibrate the next round of divisive fear mongering. As usual, people of color are the canaries in the coalmine in that over 80% … Continue reading Cowardly abuses of power
Matter and energy
Dear President Trump, Today is my mom’s birthday, the last in a long string of August family birthdays that started on the 10th with my deceased grandfather, then my father’s on the 12th, my twin sisters’ on the 14th, and our brother-in-law’s (BIL) on the 18th. When we were kids my brother and I would … Continue reading Matter and energy
Cynical and slick
Dear President Trump, Who is feeding you instructions? Is Steven Miller whispering in your ear? Or Steve Bannon from afar? Or maybe Vladimir P from further afar? Have they formed a boy band to make sure you hear the same message no matter which way you turn? I know you’re capable of coming up with … Continue reading Cynical and slick
“…. I don’t see any up sides to this situation”
Dear President Trump, Our brother-in-law’s (BIL) niece suggested we read Joan Didion’s memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking.” It’s Didion’s account of her life during the year following her husband, John Dunne’s sudden death from cardiac arrest. Her ability to capture the sense of loss and of being lost following a close loved one’s death … Continue reading “…. I don’t see any up sides to this situation”
John McCain’s gift
Dear President Trump, A little while back I wrote to you about the virtues of leading with love. It’s been abundantly clear you’ve not heeded the message and I don’t think it’s just because you missed that letter. You had such a great opportunity to pretend to be a magnanimous leader in how you chose … Continue reading John McCain’s gift
A long day with a bright spot
Dear President Trump, It’s only 6:30 in my usual time zone but it’s 9:30 here in DC and I’m exhausted. Because I’m traveling for the VA and had to have VA arrange my airline ticket, my flight this morning left at 6am, went to Portland for a 2 hour and 40 minute layover, and then … Continue reading A long day with a bright spot
Cornerstone of kindness
Dear President Trump, Sometimes it really doesn’t work to try to cheer oneself up with a platitude like “ this too shall pass” or “just hang in, it’ll be ok.” You may be getting a taste of this with everything you’ve got going on and how bleak it’s looking for you as more of your … Continue reading Cornerstone of kindness