Since you are coming down to visit us, our local paper has asked us to email questions or concerns that we would present to you personally, given the opportunity.  Now, I realize that you haven’t the time to actually read these responses, for you live — as we all do — in a reality limited by the twenty-four hour day and hampered by the biological need for sleep.

However, if I had the opportunity, I would say this to you, sir:

Remember that we are Americans.  We are, on the whole, proud to be Americans.  Proud to be descended from people who came here with a piece of lint in their pocket, a strong back, and the ability and determination to have a roof over their children’s heads and a change of clothing.  We are a people whose parents and grandparents tell us one of many varieties of the story that says:  Oh, you think this is hard? When I was a child, we had to walk uphill to school. Both ways! In the snow! And we were thankful!

Mr. President, please don’t take that from us.

Americans value hard work and the lessons learned from it.  Failure, too, is to be learned from, even if it is unjustly experienced.  Life is not fair, and even a brand new President cannot make up for that.

Mr. President, as the good and responsible father that you are, you know that you have to let your children suffer the consequences of their actions. Only then can they become stronger and grow straight, healthy and proud.

Let us, Mr. President, do no less.  Do not attempt to fix all the wrongs; it’s not your job.  Your job, as the President of the United States of America, is to protect and defend America and the Constitution, as you swore to do.

Most systems will succeed or fail based upon their health.  Let this be true with all the systems of our great nation.  So that, one day, we can look back and tell our children about the time when we all pared down, cut back, bought more sensibly, and lived lean for a while.

We’ll tell them, someday, that we were thankful.

Tags: America, politics, pride

I didn’t watch Obama’s infomercial last night.

I didn’t watch Pushing Daisies.  Or the World Series.

I read a book.  I helped Builder pull out a tooth (ah, at last there’s one whose location was made known to me!) and settled him to sleep.  I discussed homework with Cyclone.  Laughed with Spousal Unit.  Tended to the concerns of my family.

Then, I let my mind meander until I fell asleep.  Somewhere, oh, after eleven. <tired smile>

The busy-ness of life reminds me much of the title of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.  (I do enjoy Kenneth Branagh’s rendition of this play.  One of my favorite of the Bardic interpretations.)  We concern ourselves with things that seem quite frenetic as they approach us. Matters of high concept or great importance.

And truly, there are matters requiring our attention.

But it is far too often that these Great Matters are so transient in our lives. We invest energy, put up a great “ado,” if you will, about these things.  They pass.  We will continue to get up in the morning, continue to pass our day in the customary fashion, and find some New Matter about which to obsess as time moves along.

Don’t we always?

Yet while these great matters are happening, what is happening to us?  To our relationships?  To the building blocks of our lives?  Are they neglected as we engage in much ado about… Well, nothing permanent? Nothing lasting?  Nothing that will, really, improve the tone of our relationships, the matters of faith, the very best of ourselves that we can give to others?

I am not a political person.  Politics are ephemeral.  I will be voting early, today, as is my right and responsibility.  America will elect Whomever next Tuesday.  It will not likely be a completely fair election, and I am certain we will have to rethink how we choose our leaders in the near future, but still, someone will come out on top.  Promises will be fulfilled, promises will be broken.  Doesn’t matter who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue, in that tightly guarded home-office, discontent and far too much expended negative energy will result.

I am a woman of faith.  Because, to me, my best energies are spent on what lasts. Relationships with God and my family and friends.  These are truly lasting matters.  Worth expending much effort to maintain and defend.  Worth all the “ado” required to keep them healthy.

We only get one shot.  Make sure that whatever you spend your time on, is worth it.  Much Ado About… What?  We each have to fill in the blank for ourselves.

Tags: God, Life, politics, relationships