It has not been above freezing here for weeks and no relief in sight from the snow and the cold. Many parts of the country have it much worse. Everyone reading this has experienced the new and common reality of extreme weather, it is, to me a song of winter from Mother Earth, she is calling upon us to pay attention to her, to understand her message.

For me, the message is not to rush out and stock up on milk and bread, or to plan disaster kits to keep in your pantry or your car along with your guns and self-defense plans. I don’t care to leave like that, many people do, I wish them well. For me, a life lived in fear or preparation for disaster is simply another kind of slavery, along with believing money is the key to security and peace of mind. Fear is a poison, it corrupts the soul and spirit and drains the joy from life.

I hear the song of winter, I know it is real and true, I feel it in every part of my body, I see it in the animals and their lives. My new play was greeted with a new storm, Mother Earth singing in sync with life, walking alongside of us, reminding us of God’s injunction in the Kabbalah and elsewhere to be mindful of her or face the awful consequences. I am hopeful we will all hear her awful and beautiful song, I heard it tonight.