Saying Goodbye to Jamie

Last Saturday Dan and I drove to a Club House near Hamilton Field to celebrate the life of Jamie Schoen and to mourn her passing with her family and friends. It was a beautiful, multi-faceted memorial with a slide show of her life, music, dance and song, poetry, and heart-felt words.

We were grateful to have shared this moment with several members of our Tribe, Jodie NewDelman, Teya Chavez, Rochelle Edwards, Katie Warfield, and Laurel. I only regret we did not take a photo.

I spoke about Jamie’s luminosity, generous spirit and sense of play. I described her at our last Dia de Los Muertos, dancing as the young French heroine Madeline and I told of the last time I heard Jamie speak in our Medicine Circle, complimenting Zora Coeur de Roy on a jaunty French café piece that reminded Jamie of Paris. I shared that Jamie told me last month how she loved being a member of our Dance Medicine Tribe.

Jamie loved the 13th Century Persian poets, so closed with these words by Tagore:

“Peace, my heart, let the time for parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.”

Bless you on your next great adventure, dear Jamie, we continue to dance with you in hearts.