Dear President Trump, I told you yesterday that Laura and I took the dogs on a walking tour of the University campus to see the heron rookery. We tagged on visiting a couple of the newer buildings on campus that Laura wanted to show me with the idea that I could go in and check … Continue reading Marginalized voices
Religion
What’s real and needs attention
Dear President Trump, I’m well past the years when hormones regularly amped up my emotional tenderness. And before pressing on, no, such cycling is not a sign of female weakness or irrationality. Rather, it’s a built-in course-corrector or truth serum that puts us back in touch with what’s real and needs attention. I would go … Continue reading What’s real and needs attention
Speck-hood
Dear President Trump, I’m torn between elaborating on what seems to me to be the word of the day, which is “sordid,” and wrestling with the reality of being a speck. I think I’ll just list three of the sordid bits that are floating on top of the oil slick this morning and then move … Continue reading Speck-hood
And yet and still
Dear President Trump, The title of the Easter sermon this morning was “In Praise of What Isn’t.” Our pastor’s theme was how crucial it is that we not get stuck on what is and lose sight of what can be. She wasn’t saying that we should ignore what is or pretend that the bad things … Continue reading And yet and still
Notre Dame and its confessionals
Dear President Trump, Have you ever visited Notre Dame, walked around the outside of it and the inside it? If you did, did you allow yourself even a tiny glimmer of awe? Did the magnificence of the soaring space take your breath away? Did the details in the craftsmanship and the clever cant of a … Continue reading Notre Dame and its confessionals
“The mark of the beast”
Dear President Trump, A new friend sent me a snippet from the book “Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters” by David Kipen. Even though it will add to my character count, I’m going to replicate it. First though, you need some context. The book is set up so it goes day-by-day starting … Continue reading “The mark of the beast”
It’s hard to enjoy spring when the POTUS is a narcissistic sociopath
Dear President Trump, I know it won’t make it any less of a cheap shot to preface it with an acknowledgment that it’s a cheap shot, but Happy DT Day – who knew (more than two years ago, that is) that we’d ever have a POTUS who is better recognized on April Fools’ Day than … Continue reading It’s hard to enjoy spring when the POTUS is a narcissistic sociopath
Because God said….. Excuse me?!
Dear President Trump, Yesterday our pastor focused her sermon on the book of Numbers, chapter 27, verses 1-8, which tells the story of five sisters whose father just died. They get Moses to have a chat with God because they want to be able to share their father’s wealth with his brothers – at least … Continue reading Because God said….. Excuse me?!
A break from the mayhem
Dear President Trump, I wasn’t trying to stay off my computer today, but there was other stuff to do and so I’m just now breaking a 26 hour-no-computer run and really, it’s been lovely. If I didn’t need to write to you I would have let the streak go until tomorrow morning. Truly, I think … Continue reading A break from the mayhem
Radical empathy ~ it takes a village (Part 5)
Dear President Trump, Did you see the piece in the WP this morning about the teens from Newport Beach, CA, who threw a Nazi-themed party over the weekend? They arranged their red plastic drinking cups in the shape of a swastika and took selfies in front of it. Understandably there’s a lot of anger and … Continue reading Radical empathy ~ it takes a village (Part 5)