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Heather's Views triangular trees in a row

Let's Make a New Deal!

Dear Ones,

Everything is colored by our point of view. Both my parents lived during the Great Depression and they had completely different experiences of it. Granted, my father was eight years older than my mother. My dad went to University during the 30s, taught school, wrote poetry, sang in choruses, entertained, played bridge with his friends and in general had a sweet life. He was living the 'We Ain't Got a Barrel of Money' life. Although they lived only 60 miles apart, my mom's experience of those years was one of suffering (she told us she and her brother and sister, barefoot, had to trample Russian thistle to feed the cows), walked miles to school in terrible weather and ate lard sandwiches for lunch. Yuk! No one would say that her experience was a bed of roses but then neither was my dad's. So it must have been about the perspective from which they were viewing their circumstances.

The Great Depression was a tough time financially for millions of people. Yet it was a time of immense creativity in music, literature, theatre and radio. When I was a kid we sang a lot as a family, mostly in the car, on the long car ride to and from Grandma's house. The songs we sang came from the 30s and 40s. I still love them today. One of the songs, "You Are My Sunshine" was a song that has been sung by parents to their children for decades. It still warms my heart.

In the 30s the government was called upon to help the people. Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced his "New Deal." To some it was a godsend, to others the beginning of governmental regulations and control. The best way to look at anything in our lives is to call it all good and put the serenity prayer to work, i.e., "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

This brings me to the topic for March. Based on the history of music, initially I was going to call it "A New Deal" but after some contemplation I have decided that the theme for March will be "Let's Make a New Deal!" I believe it is so important in these changing times to remember that Principle is not bound by Precedent. The only thing that binds us to our history, individually or collectively, is a belief that it will. Now is the moment for us to live the Principle out loud.

Ask yourself what you are waiting for. Are you waiting for someone to bail you out, give you a hand out or even a hand up? Are you fascinated by each additional crisis? Whatever you have done in the past is simply that - what you have chosen to do in the past. There is so much more for you to be, do and have. You truly have only just begun. Today is a new day. Begin it now.

Love and blessings,
Heather

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