Sung by one of God’s greatest treasures for us, the amazingly gifted and beautiful Whitney Houston.

“Find your strength in love!”

So true!

I wish that we all achieve this for ourselves, sooner or later; to guide with everything of this life.

It is the understanding that helps in every choice that you make, in every relationship..

If you don’t have self-love, how could you love anyone else?

How could you know how?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a significant note, I would like to share more about this beautiful song.

In 9th grade at junior high school, my classmate, Linda Creed was the center of attention for her buoyant spirit, her out-going nature, and ability to lead. At lunchtime, she would go to the middle of the gym floor and invite us all to dance and sing to the latest music. I always thought it odd how completely immersed in the music she seemed to be, and her insistence for us to come together to dance in the gym after lunch at school. She made it happen just about everyday, if I recall correctly, breaking racial barriers and other irritating issues we faced in school.

Our school was in a neighborhood comprised of predominately Jewish people. So the school was a reflection of the neighborhood and was populated of 50% Jewish and 50% everyone else. I make these facts known as they indicate how all encompassing Linda’s influence actually was. Linda insisted we all come together to have fun dancing, and we did. She was infectious, beaming and so happy being able to create with music and dancing, a moment that would bring us together like nothing else could.

Linda was Jewish so at first one might wonder how and what part of her felt so compelled to rouse us all to dance to rhythm and blues at lunchtime. We could feel that she was special somehow.

Years later, I learned that Linda had became a standout songwriter, creating some of the best lyrics and music of our era and in collaboration with Gamble & Huff, a significant part of what would come to be known as “The Philly Sound” of the 1970s.

Linda is the composer of this amazing song. Not long after writing this song, Linda would die of cancer in 1986.

RIP dear Linda, you “crazy diamond”!

Thank you for bringing us together in junior high school.

And a bigger thanks for all of the incredible lyrics and music.

Your classmate,

Char