Death, Dying, and Grief - Bringing Kindness Through Song to Those Facing Life's Thresholds with Kate Schuyler

Send us Fan MailPlease note this content warning for the following episode. In this episode our friend Kate speaks about her experience with putting down a beloved horse. Please take care of yourselves.Today we are excited to have a conversation with Kate Schuyler. She is an active student of life, self, and the heart, a mother, grandmother, partner, and loyal friend. She is a world traveler, a hiker, a backpacker, a community volunteer, a gardener, a poetry lover, and a musician and singer. She has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1982, and a member of the Sufi Community since 1994. She has been singing with the Portland Threshold Singers, an affiliated chapter of Threshold Choir International, since June 2012, eleven and a half years ago.We shared this poem - AFTER YOU DIE By Marva Lee WeigeltJust so you knowafter you dieI will not wonderwhy you didn’t doyour dishes orhow long it’s beensince youcleaned youroven or microwave ormopped your floorsor why there weredust bunnies underthe bed andbehind the doorAfter you’re goneI will not wonderhow you couldhave allowed thepiles of old mail toaccumulate orwhy you saved somany bits and piecesof this and that orwhy you weren’tmore goal-oriented andwell-organized orwhy your refrigeratorcontained so manyexpired condimentsWhen you areabsent from all yourfamiliar placesI vow to avoid wonderingwhy you didn’teat less andexercise more orwhy you waited solong to stop smokingor drinking orwhatever else wassimultaneouslysoothing anddeadly orwhy you tookwhatever risk mayseem to have hastenedyour exit or whyyou left so much unsaidunfinished orunresolvedI will only wonderif you knew how muchyou mattered to mejust as you areas you were when wemet in our temporaryhuman disguises andlaughed in thedressing room of theworld at how funkilyour skin suits fitat timesI will wonder andhope you knewyou were belovedI will wonder whenwe last huggedand whether youfelt how ourheartbeatsconvergedand our belliesbumped like boatsand then weboth sighed******At the end of this episode we share a sample of the beautiful music of the Threshold Singers.Support the showWe very much want to hear your thoughts. Please join us on Substack for our community chat.This podcast helps anyone dealing with loss. It can guide you with end-of-life planning and death-positive resources. Check out our introductory episode to learn more about Annalouiza, Wakil, and our vision/mission to normalize and destigmatize conversations about death, dying, grief, and loss.You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one-on-one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at [email protected] want to be transparent that we use AI tools to help us with titles, show notes, editing, and introductions....