Donna Summer Dies . . .

Donna Summer passed yesterday, much too soon, in her early 60s, after a bout with cancer. She was raised in a strict religious family and  got her start singing in church before becoming the Queen of Disco. During the replay of an earlier interview on public radio's Fresh Air, interviewer extraordinaire, Terry Gross, asked Donna what it was like to be living in Germany in her teens, away from her parents, while she was part of the cast of the musical Hair. Her answer surprised me!



Donna described the relief and sense of freedom she felt to be out from under her parents rigid oversight. She admitted to experimenting with her boundaries, but said ultimately it was important for her to find faith-based guidelines that were right for her . . . not a set of rules that were dictated to her or a set of expectations that were practiced by the group of Christians she was a part of.

I was surprised to hear her admit to something I've believed in my heart for a long time. I wrote Maitreya in recognition of the need that each soul has to establish an authentic faith free from the dogmatic indoctrination of any faith system within which one is raised. Maitreya will help the reader tear down those walls than prevent your faith from taking flight to the brave new spiritual world in which your conscience becomes your Guide instead of your accuser.