Love is Up to the Challenge

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Barbara McAfee

A stunning post about my beloved friend….thank you, Lucy!

StudioLu Stories

“Just as people have eyes to see light with and ears to hear sounds with, so they have hearts for the appreciation of time.”— Michael Ende

If you are skittish about the topic of death, then stop reading this post right now. Or better yet, don’t. I used to be one of those people, superstitious that talk of death would draw it nearer somehow. Yet, when one of my closest friends was diagnosed with terminal cancer, it became a topic I could not avoid. And guess what? I found out that talking about death could actually be a very life affirming act.

I’ve been reminded of this irony recently by a friend of a friend of mine, a man I never met but whose forthright manner of living with and ultimately dying from ALS has inspired and touched me since I first heard his story. When my friend Barbara McAfee asked me to create a…

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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.
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2 Responses to Love is Up to the Challenge

  1. Avril says:
    August 31, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    Beautiful, Barbara.

    My oldest friend (since nursery school) was diagnosed this summer with ovarian cancer and is undergoing her first round of chemo right now. Ovarian cancer is usually a killer, because it’s usually caught too late. But Marla’s was discovered fairly early, as happened for another dear friend, Sheryl, back in 1987. Sheryl is still alive and well today, and that allows me to be hopeful about Marla’s prognosis at least for the time being. But the shadow remains, and it’s scary. So it’s good to be reminded that Love is up to the challenge.

    Thank you.

    Love, Avril

    Reply

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