Some months after disaster,
he, feeling guilty for not
having been a better husband,

said to his grieving daughter,
in a vain plea for expiation,
“I never cheated on your mother.”

Her response, “And that’s some-
how to your credit? Doesn’t it
just go with the territory?” She

was angry and he was there offer-
ing himself on up on a self-
sacrificial platter. Now, years

later he thought about all the
sexual harassment, predation
and exploitation in the news

and he said to himself, in an
act of self-forgiveness, “Well,
in hindsight, it was kind of a

big deal, but your mother made
it easy. I stand with Jimmy
Carter.” Somewhere around half-

way between then and now, his
daughter sent him a note telling
him he was her hero.