Dear President Trump, Just before I learned about the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh this morning I read in either the WP or the HP how even with a suspect in custody who clearly supports you, there were still people on the far right yesterday claiming the Democrats or Jews … Continue reading A tiny weight on the side of goodness
Kindness
Moral abyss
Dear President Trump, Lately I’ve been worrying that I’m saying the same things over and over to you and that your correspondence vetting team is getting bored with me. You are doing such a good job of sticking with what works for you (and what troubles, saddens, frightens, and disgusts me) that I’ve needed to … Continue reading Moral abyss
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
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
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
Dear BIL…..
Dear President Trump, It’s been another incredibly long day. There were three memorial oriented events today and one more tomorrow morning so lots of people, lots of tears, lots of stories about our brother-in-law (BIL). As pleased I am to see the headline that there is going to be some sort of FBI investigation into … Continue reading Dear BIL…..
A saint-like person and a flat-out liar
Dear President Trump, I’m on the way back to Atlanta this morning for our brother-in-law’s (BIL’s) memorial service Friday. Laura’s first day back to school is today so she’s taking a red-eye tomorrow night. She’ll arrive in town (hopefully) six hours before the service. She’ll be toast, but this was really the best option given … Continue reading A saint-like person and a flat-out liar
Tick tock
Dear President Trump, We’re in Santa Barbara getting our daughter settled in at college this weekend. It’s been a long emotional couple of days. Fortunately, she got to move in this afternoon and is mostly unpacked, but she’s going to stay with us tonight and so we’re bracing ourselves for when we drop her off … Continue reading Tick tock
Staying open to positives
Dear President Trump, Today it’s been exactly a month since our brother-in-law (BIL) passed away. I’m guessing countless people have previously observed this in the aftermath of a close one’s death, but it seems simultaneously like we just left his hospice room a few minutes ago and like it’s been more than a year since … Continue reading Staying open to positives
Go team!
Dear President Trump, This evening we had a little dinner party so that our daughter’s birth mother and grandmother could say goodbye to her before she leaves for college on Friday. Our best friend came over too (she was our emergency contact for years and years so it was only fitting that she got to … Continue reading Go team!