Grace Coolidge: A Sparkle in the 20's Glitz and Glam

A friend said about Grace Coolidge that he could "still remember her sparkle."

It's amazing to me that her sparkle stood out to him in the midst of the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties, the culture that the previous presidential family, the Hardings, fully participated in. They drank during Prohibition, had crooked friends, and relied on fortune tellers. Warren went to house parties with lots of ladies and had affairs with many women. Florence's best friend was filthy rich and even owned the Hope Diamond. Reading Florence Harding was like reading The Great Gatsby. 

In contrast, Grace Coolidge, First Lady from 1923-1929, did not participate in the lifestyle shared by so many Americans at the time. She was frugal, quiet (although not as quiet as her husband "Silent Cal"), and a faithful churchgoer. She spent two years crocheting an intricate bedspread for the bed in the Lincoln bedroom. Calvin Coolidge did not want her to bob her hair or do adventurous things like drive or fly. So she didn't--at least not until he passed away.

She was caring and compassionate and worked as a teacher for the deaf before her time as First Lady.

For the biography, I read Grace Coolidge and Her Era: The Story of a President's Wife by Ishbel Ross. The biography was written in 1962. It was boring. Perhaps that was because of Grace Coolidge's normal, average life and perhaps it was because in 1962 biographies accentuated the positive and the plain facts instead of analyzing the character of the person being written about. I expected the biography to be this way since I had already read Ishbel Ross' biography of Julia Grant. Although the Grant's live was more adventurous so there was a little more to that book.

The biography also did not delve into the political happenings of the time so I feel ill-prepared to understand the whys behind the stock market crash which I will read about next in Lou Hoover's biography.

However, Grace Coolidge sounded like a wonderfully sweet woman, faithful wife, and loving mother--certainly an endearing sparkle in a time of flashy glitz and glamour.

Do You Want to Know When You Will Die? Florence Harding and Death Predictions

If you had the option, would you want to know when you are going to die? Would you want to know when your spouse is going to die?

Florence Harding's time in the White House was clouded by the "knowledge" that her husband, Warren Harding would not live through his term of office. Madame Marcia, an astrologer on whom Florence Harding relied, gave her the news during one of their sessions.

Florence Harding was already a jealous and ambitious wife, and this prediction fueled her desire to control her husband and his presidency.

When I read this part of Florence Harding's life in Carl Anthony's biography Florence Harding: The First Lady, The Jazz Age, and the Death of America's Most Scandalous President, I started to think. If I had the choice, would I want to know when my husband was going to die? Would I want to know the date of my death?

Here are the pros to knowing your death date:

If you know you are going to die soon, you could seize the day and live to make every moment count. You could make memories and spend time with your family and friends. You would quit putting off until later the things you have always wanted to do in order to do them now. You would heal broken relationships now instead of waiting until later which would bring you peace in your life.

If you know you are going to die soon, you can make better long-term plans. You could buy the right amount of life insurance. You could get your house in order financially as well as get your literal house in order so you don't leave anything undone.

If you know you are going to die, you live with a greater understanding that this world does not last forever and you need to think about what comes after death. Your priorities would be in the right place focused on what is eternal.

Here are the cons to knowing your death date:

You could let thoughts of death consume you. Since Madame Marcia said it, it was impossible for Florence to let go of thoughts of death.

You would live with constant stress. This happened to Florence Harding especially since Madame Marcia did not say how Warren Harding would die. Whenever he would get ill, she would wonder if this was the end. She continually worried waiting for the other shoe to drop.

You will miss out on watching the life of your kids and grandkids after your death, their weddings, kids, their careers, and accomplishment.

Can you trust a death prediction?

If someone told you you would die in the next two years, you would decide whether or not to trust the prediction. There could be this excitement that comes with the possibility of defeating the odds.

I'm not sure if Florence experienced a glimmer of hope after Madame Marcia told her that Warren would die before his presidential term was up. She seemed to trust Madam Marcia implicitly believing she was right.

And she was right. Warren Harding died of heart failure before his presidential term was up.

After thinking it over, I am glad I do not know when I am going to die. However, I do want to live with eternity in view making the most of every opportunity as if today might be my last day here on earth because who knows? maybe it will be.