Quiet kindness of letting it be

77% Weekly Newsletter

Quiet kindness of letting it be

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.”

Robert Brault

“Annie,” I say, pointing upward to indicate I will be referencing the soundtrack of Come From Away we’re listening to.

I steal a glance at my soulful daughter and continue, “This version has more in it than I’m used to.”

“No, this is the same one,” she replies, as we work on organizing the garage together. She pauses, then insists, “No. It’s the same.”

It’s not.
I know it’s not.

The version that we’re listening to has some verses and dialogue that had been cut from the Come From Away album stored on my iPhone, dating from the days when we carefully managed our music libraries.

As Spotify streams words that I don’t remember in the number “38 Planes,” I resist the urge to pull out my phone to prove I’m right.

“Oh,” I say.

Slow Down, Good Sam

In 1973, researchers John Darley and Daniel Batson at Princeton University conducted a study based on the biblical story of “The Good Samaritan.” ✧✧✧ A little background on the story: Samaritans, in the biblical world, were not considered “good.” The phrase “Good Samaritan” would have sounded like a political oxymoron—something like “compassionate MAGA” or “patriotic liberal.” In the story, a

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A Letter

Beloved, Let me tell you something I often say when counseling those mourning the loss of a loved one. “Unless you are a rabbi or minister, you shouldn’t be good at writing eulogies.” And then I add: “Let me give you a pro tip—think about writing a letter. Because you know how to write a letter and this way you

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With Bread

 Love. With Bread. ✧✧✧ I live in a very progressive city. But, not everyone is of one mind. In fact, three houses to the north live Merrilee and Sardar, who, prior to the 2020 election, posted a “Trump—MAGA 2020” sign in their yard. The day Biden was elected, I texted them that a number of my friends and I were

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77% Weekly Newsletter
77% Weekly Newsletter