Since hearing of the tragic passing of Michael Jackson over a week ago, I have been filled with overwhelming sadness and loss. Why did this affect me like this? I wondered. After much soul searching, and the shedding of many tears, I realized that his death represented more than just the loss of a iconic performer, it was symbolic of the loss we face everyday in our lives. It was the loss of the chapter of my childhood, the realization that a part of me has moved on and that change is indeed an inevidable part of our lives. 

Having grown up listening to his music, Michael Jackson provided the soundtrack to my youth. It seems like only yesterday that I sat glued to the television set in my lougeroom watching him perform his now legendary ‘moonwalk’ to Billie Jean. I was absolutely besotted. I had never in my life seen someone move like that and I am sure I never will again. He was one of a kind! 

I taped the performance and spent weeks replaying it over and over so that I could learn the ‘moonwalk’ myself. To say I was slightly obsessed would be an understatement! I watched it over and over, breaking it down into parts, until I could understand the mechanics of his every move. For an athlete and student of sports science, this was a gift. He was an absolute inspiration to me.

Michael Jackson embodied the principle of giving. He shared his music, his extraordinary dance talent, his unique vocals…his passion. He was the joyful expression of a life filled with purpose. He was an extraordinary human being who chose to come into this world to shine his light so brightly that we could all see a part of ourselves in him. Quite simply, he dared to be different.

No one could possibly understand what it would have been like living the life he did. He was a genius…a superstar, pursued not only by fans who loved and adored him, but also the tabloid press who are ruthless in their pursuit of any story, true or untrue, that would sell. No human could possibly endure the amount of stress that he had to carry in his life from such a young age. It was just too much for one person to bear.

His good friend, Deepak Chopra tells the story,”he had been diagnosed with lupus and he had vitiligo,” he said, “There’s some recent research that suggests that if children have experienced either physical or verbal, mental, emotional or sexual abuse, then 20, 30 years later they can develop these autoimmune diseases including lupus. He was traumitized verbally and physically in his childhood and it was a big issue for him.” There is no doubt that the pain of his childhood came back to haunt him in later life.

The human experience is a complex one and the life and death of Michael Jackson was no exception. He led a tortured life and showed us that despite seeming to have everything on the outside, you can still experience overwhelming pain on the inside. 

His message of united purpose shines forth in the words of his much loved song, ‘Man in the Mirror’…. “If you wanna make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself and then make that change” 

His soul would surely rejoice in heaven if he knew that even one soul had become enlightened because he lived. May we all stand together and honor the light he brought forth. Let us rejoice at the opportunity for greater awareness and our common need for healing, love and acceptance.

May his message of hope be remembered forever through his music; that there’s nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one. 

Thank you, and God Bless you Michael Jackson, we will all miss you. 

Love,

Janine

“Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon,”- Maya Angelou