No doubt the White House thinks the American people know Obama's story. But since the Inauguration we've seen only the president's present: his perfect family his Ivy League elegance his effortless mastery of complex issues. We never see him sweat. And we forget that he ever had to struggle.
And when I was young my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think I don't think anyone in my family would really feel I'd done them an injustice by saying that. We didn't see many people. There were many books. It was as if I wanted to get away from home.
Christmas can have a real melancholy aspect 'cause it packages itself as this idea of perfect family cohesion and love and you're always going to come up short when you measure your personal life against the idealized personal lives that are constantly thrust in our faces primarily by TV commercials.
I think every chef not just in America but across the world has a double-edged sword - two jackets one that's driven a self-confessed perfectionist thoroughbred hate incompetence and switch off the stove take off the jacket and become a family man.
Where would you be without friends? The people to pick you up when you need lifting? We come from homes far from perfect so you end up almost parent and sibling to your friends - your own chosen family. There's nothing like a really loyal dependable good friend. Nothing.
But let me perfectly clear because I know you'll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250 000 a year you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime.
Do not fear lest you should meditate too much upon Him and speak of Him in an unworthy way providing you are led by faith. Do not fear lest you should entertain false opinions of Him so long as they are in conformity with the notion of the infinitely perfect Being.
In times when religious or political faith or hope predominates the writer functions totally in unison with society and expresses society's feelings beliefs and hopes in perfect harmony.
When Christians start thinking about Jesus things start breaking down they lose their faith. It's perfectly possible to go to church every Sunday and not ask any questions just because you like it as a way of life. They fear that if they ask questions they'll lose their Christ the very linchpin of their religion.
Practice means to perform over and over again in the face of all obstacles some act of vision of faith of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.