An Open Note to Archer and Donald

Archer, you have a big heart and a lot of energy, and I know that you will be able to repair a lot of things when you become an adult. You'll be on the better side of the divide, and this means that you will have many opportunities to help others.
So...take time to listen... and you will hear...
children crying for want of love, safety, and attention,
idols clamoring for your worship, allegiance, and sacrifice,
old people pleading for dignity and perhaps even death,
frustrated voices shouting to be heard above the din of self-interest,
poor and desperate kids working the streets and asking for a dime,
tempters promising pleasure and escape in the middle of the night,
con artists inviting you to take a card... because you "can't lose"
politicians telling half-truths, outright lies, and what you want to hear,
liberals claiming there is no one truth, while conservatives insist that they have the truth.

Donald, you are so loved, and your world is so comforting. You have a gentle spirit and you will have a chance to "heal" others. So, look around... and see
that people on the street almost never look you in the eye...because they're scared;
that good things are challenged more than bad things... because we're afraid to say 'no;'
that money is behind almost everything, whether it's good or evil;
that there's real beauty in every face, no matter what Hollywood says;
that everybody's somebody and nobody is nobody... because everyone counts;
that many old things are worth keeping, whether they are people, things, or traditions;
that "handicaps" are imposed from the outside... and other people should not limit us;
that real prophets are invariably mocked and killed... because we can't handle the truth;
that people are most vulnerable when they are sobbing, laughing... and in love.

Archer and Donald, both of you will live in a world that I wouldn't even recognize.
But human nature never changes... and with that in mind,
I pray that you will keep an open mind and consider that...
you may not know everything there is to know,
the best things in life can't be seen or measured,
"holding hands" is as good as love ever gets,
faith neither seeks nor needs understanding,
Nothing has ever been done in the future.

Poppy
October 15, 2014