A Leaf on His Humanity

Write one leaf in the form of a letter to the President.

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you hold the most prestigious position in the nation--the world even--but sometimes I really want to give you a hug and tell you, "I am so sorry you have to do what you do." The truth (and this is precisely the truth people tend to neglect) is that if you weren't such a straight arrow, if you didn't try so hard to do right by the nation, your life would be a heck of a lot easier.

The Republicans hate you. You expected that, but it doesn't quell the frustration. Still, you expected that. What you didn't expect was for your own party, your own supporters to turn their backs so quickly. You spoke of hope and change. But you find that very little of the nation has the patience to dream. People judge you by the state of the nation, regardless of how broken it was to begin with. Yesterday's gains get lost quickly in today's sorrows. They have don't accept that it might get worse before it gets better. They don't want policies that need to be fixed; they want laws to be immediately beneficial. "Steps in the right direction" just don't cut it. They want silver bullets or nothing at all.

It's kind of a shitty thankless job, isn't it? And maybe in those rare quiet moments, you'll find yourself sitting in the Oval Office wonder why the hell you worked so hard to get it. But then you go home to your daughters and your wife and you think about how badly you love them. How much you want to give them everything they deserve and more. You almost go crazy with the wanting. And that gives you the courage and the strength to face the new day.

You try your goddamned best. You try for the people you love, the nation you love, and the idea of love itself. But there are just some obstacles that you can't break down. The political climate, the debt (Jesus Christ, the debt!), the... well, let's stop there.

Mr. President, I just want to tell you that it's okay. It's okay that these bad things happened. It's okay that you can't fix them right now. It's okay. I understand. Sometimes your best just isn't good enough. Sometimes you can only hope that things turn out alright. You're only human. That's okay. That's life. That's how I see it, at least.

I'm sure there are others like me who forgive and accept you. A silent minority, perhaps... but I just want you to know that we're here. That not everyone in the nation sees you as a demon or a tool or something to be cursed at. You've done right by me just by trying as hard as you do and fighting for as long as you have. And so...

Thank you,

A Month