Dear Friends,

As we say goodbye to summer, so do we say goodbye to a hero and a heroine. There are those who come into this world as a beacon, carrying the mission of their soul for all of us to learn, grow and be inspired by. The end of this summer has brought the end of Aretha Franklin, our dear nightingale of soul, and Senator John McCain who stood in the stoicism of his central pillar of light—his core value—until the end of his life. He showed us what it means to be dignified in the face of attack.

At this time in our history, I think it’s important that we contemplate the meaning of those who have stood for respect and for dignity. It is important that we remember their lives and their message, because we now stand on their shoulders and are being asked to be the ones to stay steadfast and embody the strength to command a set of standards for ethics and morality. This is as important, if not more, than meditation or prayer. For even as necessary as meditation and prayer are to remaining whole, if it doesn’t translate into the action of virtue, repair, redemption and healing what is its purpose?

​​​​​​​So, thank you Aretha, whose song “Respect” I hollered and sang with tears streaming down my face as I left a relationship of abuse and learned what respect was for myself. Thank you, Sen. John McCain for holding the light of service for our democracy. There are not many who are as connected to the core of God’s virtue.