"Music of the Heart"

with Meryl Streep

Viewed August 26, 2000

In this movie we ended up covering a lot of questions in a rather short time, since the movie was pretty long. We spent a lot of time on Question 2, talking about specific situations where doors closed for us (such as a divorce, a relationship breakup, or losing a job), and the good things that have happened to us since then. We noticed that some of us were able to let go of old relationships or jobs more easily than others, and talked about what made it harder for some of us: specifically, it seems like when it's hard to let go, we may not have grieved completely about the loss, and that it's easier to let go when we can see how much better things are now than they were before.

We also talked about deliberately closing doors on relationships when we feel like they're not healthy for us any more. That triggered comments like, "You gotta get rid of the stupids!" Also, some people said that it can take some deliberate effort to close the door on a relationship, since sometimes the other people are Creepy-Crawlies who keep coming back!

The questions about romance (#3 and #10) brought up a discussion about the Knight in Shining Armor syndrome which we pick up from society. However, we also acknowledged that we sometimes perpetuate that myth ourselves by the stereotyped expectations and behavior we express (often unconsciously) in our relationships.

Here are the questions:

MUSIC OF THE HEART

  1. When I have a vision, how much am I willing to commit to it, regardless of the consequences?

  2. How has "Closing one door opens another" worked in my life?

  3. How come I can't find one romance to meet all of my needs?

  4. How does my "inner knowing" come through for me when I need it?

  5. How disciplined am I when it comes to PRACTICING?

  6. When I accomplish something I didn't think I could do, how do I feel?

  7. How do I feel when I see someone else achieve something special?

  8. How do I deal with adversity?

  9. What do I do to heal when a relationship ends?

  10. What makes me feel I need to have a romance to be happy?