Dear Mom and Dad:
I know you are undecided about who to vote for in this upcoming election, so I’m writing to ask you to vote for who I’m voting for and to tell you why I’d like you to.
About two years ago we sat at your kitchen table trying to figure out what dad’s life insurance policy should be. That was freaky and surreal. To be sitting there, at your lovely kitchen table that has light pine green placemats, a ceramic centerpiece with silk flowers, a green glass wall clock, white shuttered windows that look out onto the creek behind your condo. It was odd to be having a talk about what the payout would be upon dad’s death and what the monthly payments would be depending on which plan we’d choose. I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to run screaming from the room. I wanted to go watch a movie on one of your kazillion movie channels. I wanted to lie down and just start weeping uncontrollably. But I stayed and had the conversation but I got numb. Because I don’t think about death or dying. Or specifically your death or dying.
When I call you and ask: "how is everyone at the clinic today?" I’m joking, but not really. I get nervous when you don’t feel well, or need quadruple bypass surgery, or need burr holes drilled into your head due to blood leakage, or lose even more of your limited hearing, or need to have cysts removed. Or anything. Because I hear the clock of life ticking. I hear the clock of your lives ticking. And it terrifies me. You’ve been there every day of my life since I was born and I cannot imagine a life without you in it, on the mortal plane.
And I’m aware of how often you mention getting old, or talk about plans for next summer by prefacing the conversation with ‘if we’re still here,’ or talk about your aches and pains by saying, this is what happens when you get old, or make comments like, well, I’m getting near the end.
At 81 and 82 you’re healthy and happy. Or relatively healthy and happy and hopefully have many years of life left.
I, on the other hand, am healthy and somewhat happy, and hopefully have about 30 more years left. I’m going to be on the planet for awhile, making a living, creating art, cleaning up the earth, eating food that’s healthy, building a community that I love who loves me back, traveling by car/bus/train/plane/subway/boat around the world, finding a life partner and generally trying to be a good, mortal citizen of the world, participating in ‘tikkun olam’ whenever and wherever possible, on purpose and also by accident.
I’ve got lots of time left here and I want a government I’m proud of, that I believe in, that feels hopeful to me and that will do more good than evil. I want a president who is resilient, intelligent, compassionate, emotionally literate, who listens well, surrounds him/herself with diverse people, who will contribute to the ongoing situation in ways that are helpful for me as well as for the next generation coming up.
I’m angry and despairing about the mess that the Bush administration has created. It makes me want to run away, lie down, have a tantrum, give up. I’m embarrassed at what’s happened to the United States’ reputation as a result of having Bush tied to the front of the train.
I want something new, something that feels better, different, hopeful, positive, exciting and encouraging. I want a scenario that feels like change is possible. That there’s a glimmer of what could be if we’re willing to work together.
I’m going to be here for a couple more decades. I’m going to have to keep living with the consequences of this election for more years than you are. You’ve always done anything and everything you could to support me. Always. Time after time, across the board. And I love you for that. I appreciate how much you care for me and about me.
I want you to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden as a way of continuing to support me and the kind of life I’m building for myself.
I know you’ve got concerns about Obama’s level of experience. I know you’re concerned about the welfare of Israel. I know. I get it. And I’m asking you to vote for them anyway, despite the pundit reports, despite the smears, despite the misinformation, despite our Republican family members who send endless emails, despite the people who are talking and writing and geshraying about the election from a place of fear and terror. I want you to do this for ME.
When dad first started having vertigo attacks I suggested acupuncture and to my surprise, he actually got some treatments and they helped! I thought it would be too far out but dad did it anyway. I was thrilled that dad listened and acted upon my suggestion.
This might be too far out, asking you to vote for Obama/Biden but I want you to do it anyway.
While dad is a business person who understand the daily mechanics of finance, stocks, bonds, trading and such, I’m not. I live in the world in a very deep emotional way. I live in the world and respond to things, am affected by things emotionally and intuitively. This is both the good news and the bad news.
My gut tells me that Obama/Biden will help us more than McCain and Sarah Palin. My gut tells me that the millions of people across the nation that are showing up to volunteer, blog, attend rallies, get involved, get motivated and take action to elect Obama/Biden is tremendous and a movement that I want to be a part of. My gut tells me that the feeling of hope I feel when I volunteer, when I read about how wildly successful Obama/Biden’s campaign is going, when I talk to people who are involved for the first time in their entire lives—this is something to pay attention to.
So I’m asking you to do this for me. Your daughter. I want a better world. I want a better country. I want a president who has an integrity that I’m proud of, that I’m connected to. I want a president and vice-president who are smart and who listen well, who are tough and also resilient. I want you to vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
So, nu?
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this is what my parents wrote back (my mom typed, i think...):
Dear Jodi, what a pep talk. we are convinced to vote for Obama. I decided to vote for him, before your lovely letter. I loved the way you described our kitchen. In such detail. l love you. mom and dad