I recently wrote my “death song.” I’m in fine health, thank you.
The opening lines are:
“When I die, I know there’ll be singing
By my friends all gathered around.
As their sweet voices fade behind me,
I will join in the one great sound.
And I’ll stand on a sunset hillside
Just like I did in that dream
Join the multitude there that is singing
The song inside everything.”
I think about my death most every day — and not in a morbid way. I use the fact of my eventual departure to sweeten my days, align my priorities, and guide my choices. Time is all we have. I want to make mine count.
I just came across this wise article by a fellow singer/songwriter and hospice worker, Bronnie Ware. Like her, I have spent many hours with people who are near the end of their lives. I agree with the top five regrets of the dying she identifies here.
Give it a read. May it make your life more lively….
http://www.transitioning.org/2010/09/11/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying/
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About Barbara McAfee
Barbara is a voice coach, singer/songwriter, keynote speaker, and author who merges lessons from 12 years in organization development with the transformational power of sound.
Her book, Full Voice: The Art & Practice of Vocal Presence (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) was a #1 Amazon bestseller in Business Communication. The book is based on her 25 years as a voice coach, supporting people from many professions in learning how to access the full power and expression of the voice in service to their work and relationships.
Barbara’s musical keynotes blend practical content, sophisticated humor, and thought-provoking questions on topics including voice, leadership, and engagement.
She was “the band” for Margaret Wheatley’s Women’s Leadership Revival Tour, which visited 15 North American cities. She also appears with authors Parker Palmer and Peter Block.
Barbara has produced seven CD's of mostly original music and is founder of the Morning Star Singers, a volunteer hospice choir in the Twin Cities.
She lives across the street from the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Full Voice -- Barbara McAfee 
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