Understanding how to publish and release this book has been a process, but I feel compelled to do it and hope that people will find some insight or healing in its pages. But, it’s meant to be fun, too, so I hope you find some joy in the cultural references and song lyrics I’ve included. There’s a playlist in the back of the book for those who are curious or want to connect with songs, old and new.

Music is the underlying tempo of our lives and we all connect to it in some way. We have our particular styles and genres that we like, but sometimes there are songs that cut across the boundaries and bring people together. The songs of summer do that so well. Remember when Pharrell Williams’s song ‘Happy’ was the hit that everyone was singing? In 1998-99 Cher’s ‘Believe’ song did the same thing. I was in Florence, Italy at that time and the owner of the B&B I was staying at sang that song in full voice as she showed us to our room in her swoopy house dress. I felt connected to her in that moment because she was singing with joy and the song cut across the language barrier. And I’ve remembered her more than 20 years later!

Music belongs to all of us because we belong to it in love. It’s a vibration, a frequency, that we feel in our bodies and hearts. We connect to the lyrics and push out the same frequency as we sing along. I have an extended section about the song ‘We Are the World’ and how it impacted our planet - yes, the entire planet! Not to spoil it, but there is a plot twist related to that song and how it energetically pulled us together through our heart centers. Of course, I’ve grounded it in research because that’s how I roll.

Research is my joy and grounded ability to make new connections for myself or others. My sister calls me Hermione, and I accept that title gladly. The entire book is researched because I wanted to understand the topics more deeply and help others connect in their own way. If you’re a Hermione like me, you will review the references listed to discover your own version of beliefs. I hope that you will enjoy my compendium of thoughts and use it as a reference manual all its own for your version of creative joy.