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Finn (cc: Kathleen and Hunter),

I am pretty sure you might be with your grandparents tonight, though I am not sure if they’ll be moving their stuff or what. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about you all in recent days, and with special fondness about your grandfather. Especially after watching the Medal of Freedom ceremony. How awesome.

Please pass long my tremendous thanks to both of your grandparents for their outstanding service to society, and for their extraordinary modeling of what it means to be good people. I’ll always remember watching your grandfather, sitting on the ground at homecoming, cheering you on in your tennis match. Down to earth, rooting for people. In my lifetime, I have never witnessed a member of the White House work with such joy, honesty, and earnestness. I will especially remember how your grandfather helped lead the President to embrace marriage equality for LGBT Americans; it was an act of courage and integrity. Please tell him thank you from me for embracing our LGBT neighbors, and for showing Porter and Alexander how to be a strong, compassionate male in this still gender-troubled culture. There is much more to write, but I’ll save it for another time…

It should be obvious, but please tell your grandparents that my family and I wish them well in their future endeavors, and we look forward to seeing what more they will do to benefit people around the world, though they’ve done plenty enough already for a couple of lifetimes.

Give my best to Naomi as well. I hope she is thriving this year as a new college grad!

Be well, and let me know if you need anything from me.


Best,

DS


--
Darren F. Speece, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Students, History Teacher
Sidwell Friends School
(202) 537-8104
speeced@sidwell.edu
check out my new book: Defending Giants: The Redwood Wars and the Transformation of American Environmental Politics (http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/SPEDEF.html)