Sunday, February 19, 2012

about Whitney...

before i get started,
a fellow blogger recently encouraged her readers
to get back to actually WRITING a blog post,
vs simply posting pictures.
i try to write AS i post a pic but still...
i'm guilty.
also for us to actually READ what people write, comment...
my take on commenting is it's SO nice when
someone takes the time...
but i'm okay, in this busy world, if you don't have the time.
half the time i don't either...
so i don't use the number of comments i get to 
value myself or my blog anymore than i gain any self worth
from the number of FB, TWITTER or PINTEREST followers I have.
i love them...but the number doesn't define me.
having said that, i AM going to try to write more often...
starting today.
***************************************************************************

ABOUT WHITNEY...
by now, we ALL know Whitney Houston died.
i mean, the news is plastered with her story.
and that's another blog post...our stupid media culture society...
how this is a LEAD story on the news for days...
when it shouldn't be.
it's sad.
it's human interest.
but it is not the news of the day.
day after day.
in this big, wide world of ours.

Whitney Houston came on the scene when i was in my
 first year of college.
she was my generation.
in fact, she was my age (48) and her birthday was 9 days before mine.
so YES, i was a HUGE Whitney Houston fan.
WHEN she was young, relatively innocent, beautiful
and just plain a young girl with an incredible voice!
she rocketed to a HUGE career and I remember hoping
she would remain grounded,
that her family and their FAITH would help to keep her that way.
but the worst case scenario has come true...
and this is where my personal opinion REALLY comes through.
Whitney was a victim...notice i don't say an unwilling victim...
but a victim nonetheless, of our screwed up celebrity culture.
she had it all...
and lost it in record time.
she was literally, physically one of God's most beautiful creatures...
 she seemed to have it all.

but what bothers me today is the sugar coating of her drug use.
you bet we will never get the whole truth about her death.
not that it is any of our business...
but when the press sugar coat it, they do the rest of society NO favors.

all we hear about is her spirituality,
strong faith,
fear of God.
well, somewhere along the way,
 i think maybe she lost that fear of God...
i'm not sure.
maybe she just felt helpless and lost.
i am in NO WAY passing judgement.
i hope with all my heart that she is resting in the arms of God,
singing with angels,
free from the life that had her in it's ugly grip.
that is what i hope for her.

and i don't believe we have a cruel, heartless God.
sometimes he calls his children home
because they have lived a long, full, Godly life...
and he wants to bring them home,
to Heaven...with him.
it's just time.
but i also believe, that sometimes he taps
 some of us on the shoulder
earlier.
he knows the reason.
but with regards to the fear of God,
i think there comes a time when "enough is enough".
there comes a time when he taps a problem child on the shoulder
and says you better come now.
i'm not a biblical scholar.
i simply grew up in church...like Whitney.
but i know what i believe...
and i believe he tapped her and said "enough".
just my opinion...and i could be WAY off.
but it's what i think.
and it's what i teach my girls.
it's different for us believers.
there comes a time when it is "enough"...
because we KNOW better...
and He expects us to DO better.
life is not one long PARTY...at least not that kind of party.
and sooner or later, it WILL catch up to you.
whether it was time for her to stop struggling...and rest.
or whether it was to be a lesson to others...
or whether she was doing more harm than good down here...
i don't know.
but i think it was her time.
so i won't sugarcoat it for you.
she was a drug addict...
and maybe an alcoholic.
by her own admission, she couldn't stop.
she surrounded herself with the wrong people...
something we teach our children about.
most of us predicted this the day she married Bobby Brown.
it was not going to end well...and it didn't.
she had too many takers...and was most likely broke.
she had WAY to many YES people...
who wouldn't or in some cases, COULDN'T put a stop to this.
she has an 18 year old daughter,
who apparently has used some form of drug/alcohol since she was 15...
and she was the one out partying with Whitney.
now THAT is sad.
that girl has a long road ahead of her.
who is in her life?
her partying friends...
BUM of a father...
her mom's "entourage"...
and even her mom's family, who were  apparently unable to help...
or tried too late.

i do believe her mom, Cissy Houston, 
is a loving mother who prayed her daughter
would not get screwed up.
i have no doubt she is heartbroken right now.
and probably thinking she could have done more.
i don't know...and it isn't my place to say.
maybe at first, but it is very hard to help an addict.
they can't even help themselves sometimes.
 when she started to get caught up in the celebrity life,
that is probably when things needed to be handled.
but it's in the past now.
 except for her daughter, Bobbi Kristina.
it's still all right there in her face.
the other thing the people in Whitney's life can do...
and SHOULD do, (again, in my OWN opinion)
is be HONEST.
how better to help others who have addiction.
abusing drugs WILL ravage your body...
whether prescription or street drugs.
she was found with prescription bottles.
okay, i'm just cynical enough to wonder 
if what had been IN those bottles was prescription drugs.
as a nurse, i saw it more than once...
people hiding their illicit drugs in prescription drug bottles.
again, i'm not judging Whitney.
she had a problem.
i'm actually more critical of the ones who choose to
"only remember and talk about the good". 
okaayyy...what a cop out.
remember the good...but the good came with the bad.
and maybe that is the GOOD that can come out of this.
one person saying "i don't want to end up like Whitney".
just one.
hopefully, that one person will be her daughter.
but only time will tell.
i believe THAT is what Whitney would truly want.
to help someone who felt as helpless as she did.

if nothing else, this could serve as a lesson.
our teenagers have 3 artists who died of some sort of overdose this year.
(and you better believe...whether the coroner report is out or not,
Whitney died because of drugs...overdose or burned out body...
it was still drugs)
and for all three of these artists,
we are bombarded by how talented they were.
okay, maybe so...
but they are dead.
because of drugs...
too much partying...
a dependency on the wrong things...
associating with the wrong people...
but the end result is the same.

out of the three...i place my bet on Whitney.
what do i mean by that?
she spoke about being a child of God,
being a Christian...
being saved.
that she just "took a wrong turn".
who am i to say otherwise.
so i hope she IS with God today.
one of my favorite Whitney songs, and the song playing on my blog,
 is "I Look To You".
she knew.
she knew better.
read the lyrics:

I Look To You

As I lay me down
Heaven hear me now
I’m lost without a cause
After giving it my all

Winter storms have come
And darkened my sun
After all that I’ve been through
Who on earth can I turn to?

Chorus:
I look to you,
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
aI look to you,
I look to you
And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song
I look to you

'bout to lose my breath
There's no more fighting left
Sinking to rise no more
Searching for that open door

And every road that I've taken
Led to my regret
And I don't know if I'm go'n make it
Nothing to do but lift my head

Chorus:

My levees are broken
My walls are coming down on me
My rain is falling
Defeat is calling
I need you to set me free
Take me far away from the battle
I need you
Shine on me!

wow...
powerful song.

 maybe we can use her early death to help a few others.
but if all we hear is "it wasn't her fault"
or "she was tired...fell asleep in the bathtub..."
we help no one.
not even her daughter.

if Whitney is resting in God's arms today,
which i pray she is...
i believe she would want to reach out to those who loved her.
to say "look at me" ...
your life is too precious to throw it away.
get help...because there ARE people who will help.

since she can't say that...
it's up to her friends and family to smarten up and say it for her.
and for the press to NOT get in the way.
stop worrying about sales of papers...
and honestly tell her story.
HONESTLY.
she had a beautiful singing voice...
and we will always love listening to it.
apparently, the night before she died, she impulsively 
hopped on stage to 
sing a song with another artist.
the song was "Jesus Loved the Little Children".
i used to sing that song in Sunday School.
i bet Whitney did too.
how telling that was the song she got up and sang...
and even then she was on something, so reports say.
but maybe she somehow knew.
maybe she knew that this is what counts.
what it's all about.
but while listening to her lovely voice in days and years to come, 
listen to her story.
she has a very important story to tell
...about Whitney.

7 comments:

  1. When I saw the picture I thought it was another post on how wonderful she was. I thought she was beautiful and had an amazing voice. I loved the Body Guard and even loved the Preacher's Wife more BUT I feel the same way you do. She could Have had it all. I know it is an addiction but when you have that many people around you, why couldn't someone convince her. I know it was her choice. I really think she should have seen what was happening to her daughter and want to stop for her.
    It's just a very sad world that we honor those who aren't the best of role models for our children.
    Anyway, glad you posted this. I know now that I am not alone in my feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautifully done. I too have seen the photos of Whitney the night before she died and she looked rough. It breaks my heart that she had no respect at the end, Bobby Brown walking out of her funeral service or the clergy texting during the service? She had enormous problems with her drug and alcohol additions and she paid the altimate price, bury the woman respectfully. It is very sad when I hear of anyone's life ending this way when there is help out there and people more than willing to help. God bless Whitney and may she finally find peace. Diane

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  3. Well said!! When I heard she died I was a little surprised it hadn't happened sooner. She was on such a self destructive path. I understand her Mother and family wanting a positive funeral but I hope they will also face the truth especially Bobbi Kristina! God does say 'enough' and I believe he took her home. hugs, Linda

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  4. This was a great post Suzanne.I totally agree with what you said.Whitney gave in at the end, she gave up.It wasnt the drug store that prescribed her meds,it wasnt the Drs. even though I question zantax with valium???But there are ways of getting different types and if your a drug addict in Hollywood there are many ways to get it.

    I feel extremly saddened by this.She did have it all.Beauty oh such a gorgeous voice,acting.I loved the bodyguard I watched it over and over.I think the combo of alcohol, and drugs just got her.In order to not tarnish her reputation we will never know the truth.What i was curious about is,did she willingly take something to kill herself or was she just so over the edge she just didnt know what she was doing and popped lots of pills and had the booze along with it.I would pick the latter.Poor Whitney,God Bless her may she rest in peace finally.

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  5. Beautifully written Suzanne. I also pray that she is with God now. She was a beautiful person with an amazing talent and hopefully now, a lesson to teach others from above.

    Blessings to you and your family,
    Trudy

    ReplyDelete
  6. So beautiful! I agree with your views, and I'm glad someone is finally mentioning all of this about her.

    Also, I really loved your first little bit about really writing versus posting pictures. That was so timely...all day today I've been thinking about that and how when I post something, I want it to have substance and meaning, not just something pretty to attract followers/comments. And of course, not to place my worth and worth of my words on numbers. Thank you for writing that!

    Cheers,
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  7. AMEN!!! finally someone speaking out what exactly it is when a celebrity dies from drugs, partying and too many of the WRONG choices. An Addict is an Addict NO MATTER whether you're a celebrity or a person on the streets....the latter just doesn't get their "wrong choices" glamorized. And for some reason people think "what a waste" when a celebrity dies.....a street addict's wasted life is still just that--A LIFE. Ask BOTH of their mothers, and i'm sure they will tell you so.
    xxo-j

    ReplyDelete

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