9/16/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I hope the people of ME are safe, especially those in Thomaston & Friendship. I spent 1982/83 there, working with potential dropouts by taking them on outdoor adventures. Our Georges Valley Outward Bound program took them out of high school to keep them in school. I don’t know how much the kids learned, but I got out of my comfort zone. Always a good thing. In any case, most of our families were barely making ends meet, so I hope Cyclone Lee does not put them over the edge.

            I need some parenting advice. How did you find the balance between loving/guiding & letting go? It seems that you focused on the love part with Hunter. I am finding it hard to witness my child’s challenges. She’s a sensitive soul & is finding it difficult to teach science at a Title 1 high school. Unfortunately, the medical care she needs is hard to come by. Please see what you can do to provide better mental health support to our teachers, especially those working at under-resourced schools.

            Please continue to provide support to Deputy Assistant Sec of State, Melissa Brown, in her efforts to work with ASEAN on implementing their five-point consensus to address the strife in Burma. I hope you now that she’s worried about Laos’ capacity to staff a Burma office to continue the work started by Indonesia this year. An investment of US $ could make a difference. Please look into it.

            Should we be worried about whether we will have a budget?

            BYBS,