Dear President Trump, It’s been two months today since our brother-in-law (BIL) died but it feels like we were just in the ICU with him a few days ago, hoping he could go quickly because he was in so much pain. I still feel unsettled and generally exhausted, though I’m not sure how much causal … Continue reading Surreal disconnect
Engagement
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
An earnest listen now and again is not enough
Dear President Trump, Victoria Bissell Brown. Dr. Victoria Bissell Brown, actually. Not a name you’ve probably ever heard before. Not a name I’d ever heard before yesterday, but I’m going to do my best to remember it. Dr. Brown is a retired history professor from Grinnell College and she wrote the mother of all op-eds … Continue reading An earnest listen now and again is not enough
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
Day 600 and in-spite-of-you-positives
Dear President Trump, Last night Laura remarked that I must be getting close to the 600 day mark in our one-sided correspondence so I checked and we were at 599, which means today is indeed the 600th consecutive day of writing to you. It seems like this should feel like an accomplishment of sorts, but … Continue reading Day 600 and in-spite-of-you-positives
Brownie points of the best sort
Dear President Trump, I’m absolutely exhausted from our trip and my cold has gotten worse. I also think I set myself back by watching my first episode of “Black Mirror” before we left for the airport. Apparently it was one of the tamer episodes, but it completely zapped me emotionally. The BM show (“Fifteen Million … Continue reading Brownie points of the best sort
Tipping the universe
Dear President Trump, From the get go I’ve known, along with the rest of the country, that Christine Blasey Ford is a research psychologist who studies trauma and resilience. However, it was only this morning that I realized I’ve read and used and cited numerous publications she contributed to in my own work. I can’t … Continue reading Tipping the universe
Vain and greedy
Dear President Trump, The universe sure behaves in some uncanny, weird ways sometimes. After telling you yesterday about the positives of having gotten to see both a hawk and a female jay on the way home from work, this morning on my run I encountered yet another dead bird a couple of blocks away. This … Continue reading Vain and greedy
A vote of confidence
Dear President Trump, I’m sitting at Regan National with a 3+ hour wait before my flight since it didn’t seem worth slogging around town with my suitcase. I am bummed, though, that it didn’t feel safe to wait to leave tomorrow as I really wanted to go to the National Portrait Gallery to see the … Continue reading A vote of confidence
Scratching the surface of Logan Circle
Dear President Trump, It feels somewhat insane to be here in DC today just two days from when Hurricane Florence is set to hit the East Coast. Our VA Center of Excellence has a reverse site visit at Central Office to evaluate whether we are doing what the VA wants and whether our funding will … Continue reading Scratching the surface of Logan Circle
Daily Trump Letters 