Dear President Trump, Are you getting daily (sometimes it seems, hourly) reminders to take care of yourself in the midst of the covid-19 crisis? Maybe it’s a function of being in the mental health profession, but we really are getting at least daily reminders that we need take care of ourselves, that we need to … Continue reading Bearing witness beyond the numbers
Mental Health
We’ll need a very big boat
Dear President Trump, My dear oracle, otherwise known as Laura, just announced that spring starts at 8:49pm this evening, so happy first day of spring. Too bad this spring is necessarily going to be wholly unlike any other spring any of us have ever experienced. Yes, the daffodils and jasmine are blooming and the birds … Continue reading We’ll need a very big boat
Local stars light the way
Dear President Trump, We got to watch Governor Inslee’s press conference this afternoon and Representative Jayapal’s virtual Town Hall this evening (we also tried to get into the one she is doing with Senator Warren right now, but all the lines were at capacity). As dire and awful as things are right now, and look … Continue reading Local stars light the way
Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
Dear President Trump, I’m hanging out upstairs semi out of earshot of Laura as she conducts her review session via Zoom with her class ahead of their online final tomorrow. I don’t know how many of her 83 students have joined, but when I was still downstairs I heard quite a few of them exclaiming … Continue reading Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
Questions and more questions
Dear President Trump, I know we aren’t supposed to panic – check, got it. Well, I’ve got it in theory, anyway. How about you? I’m thinking you’re probably feeling waves of panic too as this thing barrels ahead, no holds barred (I know viruses aren’t sentient, but this is how it feels). I would venture, … Continue reading Questions and more questions
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
Nice and kind
Dear President Trump, So I started a very snarky letter to you this morning, but I’ve ditched it, at least for today. I’m tired of my own negativity and don’t want to be in that space on Valentine’s Day so instead I’m going to send you some thoughts on niceness and kindness. After a sweet … Continue reading Nice and kind
A tough morning and some shimmers of light
Dear President Trump, Maybe it’s the Wednesday-ness of the morning, maybe it’s the fact that the streets are wet again after a couple of days of no rain, maybe it’s Elizabeth Warren’s lackluster New Hampshire showing, maybe it’s the four Justice Department prosecutors quitting the Roger Stone case (and one quitting all together) after your … Continue reading A tough morning and some shimmers of light
What will make a difference?
Dear President Trump, I wasn’t able to find the image Seung Min Kim referenced in her WP article this morning (“He also tweeted a clip featuring a mock magazine cover with signs showing him staying in office far beyond the two terms permitted by the Constitution”), but I tried everything short of joining Twitter. I’ve … Continue reading What will make a difference?
Yucky bookends to the day
Dear President Trump, Today looks to be a day that will be bookended by rather spectacularly shitty stuff between the debacle in Iowa and your State of the (dis)Union speech tonight. Then you get to top it all off with the acquittal cherry tomorrow – feels like it might be a good time for a … Continue reading Yucky bookends to the day
Daily Trump Letters 