In gratitude to Whitney again

I spent the afternoon with Whitney Houston yesterday. Watching her family, friends, and colleagues sharing stories about her. Personalizing her. Painting a picture of the human being Whitney. Not the superstar. Not the woman who had fallen from grace in the eyes of many.

What yesterday confirmed for me was that Whitney was a human being just like the rest of us. Full of insecurities. Self doubt. Fear. Despite the heights she had risen to – she never saw it . Never believed it. She never became super human as we all wanted her to. As she herself probably wanted to be.

She was a woman. A mother. A daughter. A sister. A niece. A friend. A mentor. Most of all, she was a human being. I am so glad I spent the afternoon with her because she taught me through her spirit that it is not what you do in life. Rather it is how you do you. She reminded me that it doesn't matter the trials we have been through. At the end of the day we are remembered for how we were as a person. How we treated others.

She reminded me that life is not about the destination. It is about the choices we make. The paths we take. The joy we bring to our hearts. And to the hearts of others.

Yesterday was a day of surrender for me. A day when all I had to do was cast aside so I could spend the afternoon with Whitney celebrating her life. Giving thanks for all the hope and joy she put into my heart when we were both twenty two years old and she broke out with, the Greatest Love of All. Setting me on a path to learning to love myself as the greatest love of all. Enabling me to go out into the world as love.

Sometimes we wonder why life takes us on paths we never thought we would ever go on. Down roads that terrify us. Brings us face to face with the bogey man we thought only existed in our worst nightmares. Brings us to our knees. Begging for direction. Help.

Sometimes we wonder why people who seem to have it all don't realize they do and make choices that take them far far away from the light only to cut them down when they start making their way back to the light as in the case of Whitney. Watching her life celebration yesterday, I understood the why  without a doubt. It is so they can become our light - our way out of the darkness. To light the path ahead for us. To help us understand that even when we have it all if we don't learn to love the man or woman in the mirror, we will never be free. We will never know the greatest love of all. The love of self.

To Whitney, we made it through the mid eighties and nineties together. Now you’ve moved on to a different place, dimension and time but your spirit will linger forever in my heart.

Whenever I hear your songs, your voice, I will remember the gift you left behind for me and for those who choose to believe, the gift of learning to love ourselves.

RIP Whitney. Your work here is done. It's now up to the rest of us to continue to be love, give love and receive love. So that when our time is done, everyone will speak love of us as well. And we don't have to be Superstars to be so and do so.

I was reduced to tears at the end of her life celebration. Just listening to her voice as clear as that of an angel singing,

“If I should stay, 
I would only be in your way. 
So I'll go, but I know 
I'll think of you ev'ry step of the way. 

And I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 
You, my darling you. Hmm. 

Bittersweet memories 
that is all I'm taking with me. 
So, goodbye. Please, don't cry. 
We both know I'm not what you, you need. 

And I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 

I hope life treats you kind 
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of. 
And I wish to you, joy and happiness. 
But above all this, I wish you love. 

And I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 
I will always love you. 
I, I will always love you. 

You, darling, I love you. 
Ooh, I'll always, I'll always love you.”

Thank you Whitney for showing us the light through your darkness...RIP.