Dear Mr. Branstad,

I feel kind of crummy today. And disappointed. I feel disappointed for a few reasons:

a. I don't like the way our election turned out.
b. I don't like how hard it is to be compassionate and kind when in disagreement.
c. I don't like it when I fail to be compassionate and kind when I disagree.

I want to explain all the reasons for (a), but I get very… desperate… about it, and then it triggers my breathing problem. So instead, I will just write a letter.

Dear Mr. Branstad (or do I call you "Governor?" You aren't yet. But you were once, already.),

I don't care what political party you claim. I really don't. I hope that you don't really care what political party you claim, either. That is, I hope you adopt ideas and policies because they make sense and are respectful to all of humankind. I just have a few requests, and I hope you will consider them, because I'm not very special or unique, and I think a lot of people might have similar requests.

1. Please make decisions that preserve the dignity of all people. We don't always make the best decisions when left to our own devices. Please use government wisely to this end.

2. Please examine our systems and ensure that they foster environments of kindness and compassion and respect.

3. Please recognize the serious and widespread damage that fragmentation and separation cause. And then please look for the ways we subtly fragment and separate. Sometimes we don't even notice we're doing it.

4. Please work to unify and integrate. (See #3.)

5. Please examine and take care of your soul, because your soul is connected to my soul and the souls of everyone I know and everyone I don't know, through an intricate web of spiritual energy.

6. Please don't think I'm weird for saying that.

7. Please recognize how physical health impacts mental and emotional health and how all three impact the practical workings of our society (For example, my neighbors could use better nutrition and resources to prevent chronic illnesses that stress them out, trigger mental illness, diminish their commitment to education, reduce their income earning capacity, and push them to beat on their kids who in turn learn how to beat on their own kids and get stressed out and trigger mental illness and diminish… You get the idea.)

8. When you examine the state employee systems of discipline, performance, and layoffs, please recognize those of us who work really hard and do a good job, and then protect us. Please don't let people who've been skating by on the minimum bump me out of my job just because they've been kept around longer.

9. Please love and respect Mama Earth. She's my mama, too, and I adore her. She works so hard for us.

10. Please continue to recognize my gay friends' rights to love, cherish, honor, respect, and support one another through the covenant of marriage. (Please see requests #1-5.)

11. Please value arts and creativity in school so that our kids will grow up to be good, kind, heartfelt people.

12. Please take care of those judges who lost their jobs. They worked hard and did what they thought was right, just like a lot of us who work hard and do what we think is right. They are good people.

13. Please be a visionary. And, if you aren't a visionary, please keep one close by.

Thank you for considering these requests. Even though I didn't vote for you, I really want you to do a good job. I think if you do a good job, the world might be better. I really want the world to be better.

Good luck, and let me know if you need some help.

Sincerely,
Patresa