Dear President Trump, For about the last year I’ve closed my walking lovingkindness meditation with the following: May we all have the courage and the resolve to be peace and kindness. May we all have the resolve and courage to accept kindness and peace. Maybe I’ve told you about this before – I’m not sure … Continue reading Piecing together connection and being
Happiness
How we are in the world
Dear President Trump, Over about the last six weeks I’ve changed the final line of the loving-kindness prayer I say every morning at least four times. The other three lines, the ones sending out wishes/hopes/intentions for safety, happiness, and health/strength have stayed consistent except for occasionally focusing on how much I want the person, typically … Continue reading How we are in the world
Looking in, looking out
Dear President Trump, I know it’s just coincidence, but it rather looks like someone at the WP read yesterday’s letter about not losing sight of the people behind the covid-19 numbers since all four of those featured in the front page obituary section have their causes of death attributed to coronavirus (typically cause of death … Continue reading Looking in, looking out
Tender responses to tenderness
Dear President Trump, Maybe they are related, but in addition to being tired much of the time, I’m also in that cry-at-the-drop-of-a-hat space much of the time. Can you relate? At all? No? I thought not. You’re more of a rage-at-the-drop-of-a-hat sort of person, aren’t you? My newly rekindled tearfulness is usually not in response … Continue reading Tender responses to tenderness
Making space and time for delight
Dear President Trump, I can’t remember if I told you about it back at the end of January when it came out, but I’ve had a tab open on my browser since 1/31/20 set to the This American Life podcast episode entitled “The Show of Delights.” Our friend told me about it the day it … Continue reading Making space and time for delight
Make America again
Dear President Trump, The contemporary voice in service this morning was a poem by Langston Hughes that I told you about just ahead of July 4th, 2017 – Let America Be America Again. Three people took turns reading it and the congregation got to participate by reciting the parentheticals, the first one of which is … Continue reading Make America again
Negative and positive implications: discuss
Dear President Trump, I did include the tag “Climate Change” with yesterday’s postcard on my blog since it’s almost certain that the freeway ornamental cherry is routinely blooming in January when its holiday lights are still on it because of global warming. I didn’t, however, have it in me to call this angle out and … Continue reading Negative and positive implications: discuss
Peace is higher priority than ease
Dear President Trump, I had a little-big epiphany as I was going through my loving-kindness prayers on my walk this morning. I realized that it doesn’t make sense to send intentions for my life, my family’s lives, and strangers’ lives to unfold with ease and intentions for your life to unfold peacefully – that really, … Continue reading Peace is higher priority than ease
Polka dots of wonder
Dear President Trump, Yesterday’s sore throat seems to be gone and all that’s left is a little bit of snuffley-ness and a light cough. The snow, however, is still here – and then some. We got maybe another half inch overnight as the sidewalks and side streets are all blanketed this morning. Feeling fairly (at … Continue reading Polka dots of wonder
Fortunes
Dear President Trump, It’s been quite an odd day today and now at the very end of it I’m pretty worn out. I may or may not tell you about it tomorrow or the next day – we’ll see – but part of it involved gathering up the 50 or so fortunes from fortune cookies … Continue reading Fortunes