Why don't we dance around a fire when a loved one dies? How do we challenge our inherited programming around the experience of death? And how can we accept our greatness now, in this very moment, God-willing, long before our own expiration date?

Oh, and if you're Honey, you might also ask, what would Roberta do?

In Season 2, episode 7 of Flowers For Linda, a podcast on grief & creativity, my dearest Honey bee and I sat down when she passed through New York City to celebrate the life of her music momma, Roberta Flack.

Yes, that Roberta. Roberta of Killing Me Softly and Feel Like Makin' Love. Roberta of record breaking Grammy's. Roberta of classical keys and birdsong. Roberta of Donny Hathaways duos. Roberta, the musical mentor. Roberta, the queen, the regal, the matriarch.

Though I knew, of course, that Honey sang with Roberta for over a decade, in this conversation I learned just how fiercely one of the most defining voices of our time uplifted and supported the community around her, particularly those she hand picked for her band, "The Real Artist Symposium." In this beautiful episode, Honey brings us into close relationship with Roberta, sharing stories from the road, the wonderful tale of her first audition, and the wide and deep influence of her musical momma on the person, and artist, she is today.

In recounting, Honey's energy is light and open. Having watched Roberta lose control of her body, including her prized voice, to the degenerative ALS disease, Honey had been privately morning for years. Now, Honey said, she wants to celebrate.

Was the bully voice in Roberta's head loud? It couldn't be to produce the life she lived, Honey said. She had to believe in her gifts. If you asked me who that sounds like, I'd say Honey herself.

Determined to not allow her cultural programming to define her, Honey speaks in this episode about how we can push past our limiting beliefs to reach our highest and most free potential. As a friend, she is constantly challenging me to change the way I speak to and about myself, and I love that you will get to experience this, too. 

As kismet happens, I was searching for the right way to open this episode, and the universe gave me the perfect opportunity. Honey and I found ourselves last week in New Orleans during jazz fest, where she played a showcase with New York family including Chris Rob and Yahazara.

When the band kicked into Feel Like Makin' Love, Honey's dazzling voice filling the air, I flipped the camera on. And that's how we begin, and end. Full circle.

By the end of our conversation, if you listen closely, you can hear the birds outside the window. I like to think it is Roberta asking, Are you willing to accept your greatness?

In reverence,

Caits