When Trump was first elected, I never said his name in front of my children. It wasn’t a deliberate decision; it was more like a sacred, subconscious pact with myself. I was so profoundly sad that he was my country’s commander-in-chief. It seemed like keeping his name out of my mouth, and his influence out of my household’s consciousness, was one way to revolt. He had so much airtime in the public sphere, I reasoned; he would have none in our little home.
Loved this, Courtney! I just finished listening to the Audible version of the first Harry Potter book, which made me so so happy in the midst of all the misery, recalling the hundreds of hours I spent reading about Harry with my son. I also loved Dumbledore's comment to Harry near the end of the book, when Harry avoids using Voldemort's name. "Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."
Thank you, Courtney. My parenting days are long past, and I have such admiration for everyone who is navigating this era with little kids. You are doing right by your family. I think my instincts would have been the same. As a Unitarian Universalist with Christian roots, my impulse is definitely to look for the worth and dignity in everyone. I still imagine there’s a silver of it in Trump’s damaged soul. But we need to name evil where we see it, too. John’s reply to Stella was spot on.
Thank you Courtney - for your honesty, truth telling and skill with which you speak through your words. And to Stella for opening the space for you to see what you saw. Loved the photo of her.
This one really resonated with me. I broke my Trump silence and talked to my four-year-old about it this morning. When he asked if we would get arrested by Trump I quickly answered that we didn't have to worry. Then I realized what was very awful about what I just said. So complicated but so essential to tell our kids the truth, even in ways they can understand more easily like John's brilliant cheating explanation.
Fuck yes. Hell yeah. Let his fat baby fingers turn into chastising caterpillars that smoke his every ounce of his indignity while naming every putrid facet of his cowardice.
Yes! Thank you, Courtney, for this. Your words really resonate with me. I love the shifts you have made in what you dare to say out loud with family, with Republican relatives, & so on. I think many of us are with you on that path.
I am so happy to have found you again, some years seem to have slipped away. So happy to have your thoughts, and to see the pictures of the girls. thank you.
Great read, as per usual. I also struggle with universal evil and good (apart from the divine but that is an altogether different conversation!) I found this book to be extremely helpful for me in getting perspective on Donald Trump. I do not share all of the authors convictions but I found this to be something better than propaganda and gave me a framework to understand why he is such a narcissist. The author is more friendly than I would be but he asks some good questions and seems to very genuinely want to understand what drives him.
Oh Courtney! This is so beautiful. So perfect. And from your mouth to God's ear! I'm just reading it and since then, Trump has gotten COVID. Thank you for that magic! And I love your images of him being alive forever so he can see, first, what he has wrought, then what WE are able to do once that toxic masculinity has died its final death.
Loved this, Courtney! I just finished listening to the Audible version of the first Harry Potter book, which made me so so happy in the midst of all the misery, recalling the hundreds of hours I spent reading about Harry with my son. I also loved Dumbledore's comment to Harry near the end of the book, when Harry avoids using Voldemort's name. "Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."
Fuck yes. Brave and poignant and you can draw too. ❤️
Thank you, Courtney. My parenting days are long past, and I have such admiration for everyone who is navigating this era with little kids. You are doing right by your family. I think my instincts would have been the same. As a Unitarian Universalist with Christian roots, my impulse is definitely to look for the worth and dignity in everyone. I still imagine there’s a silver of it in Trump’s damaged soul. But we need to name evil where we see it, too. John’s reply to Stella was spot on.
Thank you Courtney - for your honesty, truth telling and skill with which you speak through your words. And to Stella for opening the space for you to see what you saw. Loved the photo of her.
This one really resonated with me. I broke my Trump silence and talked to my four-year-old about it this morning. When he asked if we would get arrested by Trump I quickly answered that we didn't have to worry. Then I realized what was very awful about what I just said. So complicated but so essential to tell our kids the truth, even in ways they can understand more easily like John's brilliant cheating explanation.
Fuck yes. Hell yeah. Let his fat baby fingers turn into chastising caterpillars that smoke his every ounce of his indignity while naming every putrid facet of his cowardice.
Yes! Thank you, Courtney, for this. Your words really resonate with me. I love the shifts you have made in what you dare to say out loud with family, with Republican relatives, & so on. I think many of us are with you on that path.
This really moved me. Viewing what is happening tot the country of my niece and her family worries me greatly.
Thank you.
Thank you for speaking your truth that resonates with mine. I appreciate your words and the reminder to not let fear dominate. Good will prevail.
I am so happy to have found you again, some years seem to have slipped away. So happy to have your thoughts, and to see the pictures of the girls. thank you.
Great read, as per usual. I also struggle with universal evil and good (apart from the divine but that is an altogether different conversation!) I found this book to be extremely helpful for me in getting perspective on Donald Trump. I do not share all of the authors convictions but I found this to be something better than propaganda and gave me a framework to understand why he is such a narcissist. The author is more friendly than I would be but he asks some good questions and seems to very genuinely want to understand what drives him.
http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/choosing-donald-trump/379051
thank you.
Thank you. 💗
Excellent! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for this.
Oh Courtney! This is so beautiful. So perfect. And from your mouth to God's ear! I'm just reading it and since then, Trump has gotten COVID. Thank you for that magic! And I love your images of him being alive forever so he can see, first, what he has wrought, then what WE are able to do once that toxic masculinity has died its final death.