A few days ago I was doing some family history research and came upon my grandfather’s Union Prayer Book, presented to him in 1928 on what must have been his bar mitzvah. At least the year 1928 works out appropriately for it to have been that occasion. Inscribed inside the front cover is a message from someone whose name has faded from the page . It reads, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Again, the year was 1928– what a storm 1929 brought in the Great Depression.

Today is 2008. What a storm 2009 will surely bring. James Thurber said, “All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.” Do you want to know the answers to these questions? Because part of learning to dance in the storm is to know what you want, what you are afraid of and most of all…why. (more…)