E090 Nora Fueten In the End, Beauty All Around
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 90
Date: October 17, 2023
Participants: John Webster, Isabelle Sinclair, Sheila Webster, Elise Seifert and Stephen Seifert
Guest: Rev. Nora Feueten (Interview) and Noura Saad (Move That Body)
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:17] What’s On Your Mind: Isabelle and John are “to do list” people. They believe that being organized and keeping on track is an important aspect of overall wellness. It reduces stress.
[0:11:00] Expanding Minds Interview: [Many areas of Wellness] It’s Part 2 of our interview of Reverend Nora Fueten. She received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Once Nora stopped being able to be a Minister and a choral director (and to do other things), she wondered “who am I then?”. She started to let go of all that. You let go of the ego stuff and recognized that you’re cared for and loved. There’s beauty all around you and every moment is precious. She’s happy she had a chance to have a bonfire by a lake with her grandchildren. She talked about the circle of life, that every life comes to an end, and that we celebrate what was good about the person’s life. She believes it’s important to share our common experiences. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a matter of expressing how it feels and being thankful for the wonderful things we’ve had in our lives.
[0:26:35] Retired Artist: You never know what will happen in a live show. During a year-end dance recital, a 3-year-old student broke free of the pig pen. What happened next was anybody’s guess.
[0:31:18] Move That Body: Noura Saad loves long hikes in nature, usually alone. It’s great to get into the forest, enjoy the quiet and wildlife, and get some grounding.
[0:36:36] Running Popup: John didn’t feel like going out for a run in the rain. He did it anyway, then felt great after an interval run session. It was so worth it!
[0:38:52] Flipside of the Coin: Elise and Stephen have different spins on the saying, the more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Isabelle – I find that staying organized really helps my mental health.
Isabelle – On the university campus, I notice that disorganized students tend to be more affected by stress. Organized students tend to be more relaxed and set within themselves. I believe that staying organized positively affects your mental health.
John – For me, the “to do list” approach is a very important aspect of my wellness. I take time to figure out what to do lists I should make to become more well, what I am missing and what I need to do.
Rev. Nora – I realized I couldn’t continue as a minister in a church. I did not have the strength. The same was true of my lovely acapella choir that I’ve enjoyed so much for thirty years. When you realize you can’t do that anymore, you start wondering “who am I?” If I’m not Nora the Minister or Nora the choral director, then who am I? But I’m starting to let go of all that. It’s interesting. You let go of the ego stuff and recognize that you’re cared for and you’re loved and there is beauty all around you and every moment is precious.
Rev. Nora – I know my grandchildren were listening to the conversation of my illness, but we weren’t discussing it. I came up with the idea to have a bonfire with them down by the lake. I was able to talk about the circle of life and the fact that everybody’s life comes to an end sometime. We celebrate everything that was good about that person’s life. I was very happy to be able to talk to my grandchildren about that. I hope they will remember what I said when I get to the point that I won’t be here anymore.
Rev. Nora – One of the reasons I agreed to be interviewed for this is because I believe we need to share our common experiences. We’re all going to face something like this eventually. There’s nothing to be ashamed of or afraid of. It’s a matter of expressing how it feels, being positive and being thankful for the wonderful things we’ve had in our lives.
Rev. Nora – I miss the connection with other people. I realized how much it means to me, to be part of a group doing something. I miss the interaction in person with people.
Rev. Nora – When I think of not being here anymore and I look outside the window and see leaves changing colour and birds flying around. There’s all the beauty of nature and then I sit down and play music on the piano. I listen to my record collection, and I think, “that’s all so beautiful. I really don’t want to say goodbye to it.”
Rev. Nora – I would like to share the fact that having taken the time to explore who I really am. I’m going to use religious terms – who I really am in terms of God’s creation and who or what God is. Taking the time to think that through and to be open to whatever insights come. That is really helpful when you come to the end.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Sheila: Other pigs start popping up and say, “Hey, what’s going on?”
Guest Information: Reverend Nora Fueten is retired and she’s a United Church Minister. She studied Music at University of Calgary and obtained her Masters of Divinity from Emanuel College at University of Toronto. Some experiences include growing up in the Brantford area, five years as a vocal coach and assistant conductor with an opera in Dusseldorf, Germany, sheep farming in Brant County and leading a cappella choir. She’s active politically and was a Green Party candidate. Her husband Horst, who passed away in 2018, was born in Germany. Nora has two daughters, a stepson and three grandchildren.
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle and Julie