My
friend Beth’s mother made her transition yesterday with Beth by her side. I was taken by the great care she gave her
mom. I sing with Beth in Windsong Chorus. When her mother was still in the nursing
home, a few of us came and sang to her and some of the residents there. This wasn’t too long ago. Then Beth got the East Side Threshold Choir
of Cleveland to sing for her once she was moved into Hospice. My friend Kathy Sullivan runs it. Kathy is a wonderful singer and uses her gifts to help others heal and make their transitions. The Threshold Choir started 15 years ago and now there are about 100 chapters worldwide. When I broke my hip, she and a friend sang a
couple songs for me in the hospital. It
was beautiful. So peaceful, and believe
me, I needed some peace at that point.
Beth is working on starting a threshold choir on the west side. On their website, they say that they are not
religiously oriented, but I felt like two angels were singing to me. A few weeks ago our chorus sang a song with
The Good Company Ensemble. We got to sit
in the audience for most of the concert before the last song which we were a
part of. After the first half, people
jumped to their feet and some were crying.
One lady said she felt like her heart chakra opened up. I said I felt like this is what it must sound
like when you die and are being taken to heaven.
I would like everything to be as peaceful and loving as someone
preparing to die and a choir is sending them off. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Music somehow transcends all of our “issues”
and makes us feel more connected to one another. I was thinking how hard it was for my mother
to just let go when she was dying, and I think having someone lullaby her onward would have helped ease her heart and make her transition sweeter for her and everyone.
