The poet John Donne wrote, “Any… death diminishes me for I
am involved in mankind and therefore never send to know for whom the bell
tolls, it tolls for thee.”
When the bells toll today in memory of Whitney Houston, they will remind
me of a voice, silenced. I find it
diminishes me more, the silencing of a voice that would be otherwise rose in
song.
It seems to be true that for Whitney, her life modulated as
much as her music. In the latter
part of her life, we heard more tribulation than song. Today and in the coming weeks, much
will be written and said about those tribulations. I’ll continue to quote Donne. “Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not
current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home,
heaven, by it.” Our home is not
here on Planet Earth; we simply occupy this space to live our lives, to have
our joys, our own music and our tribulations. Whitney’s time for tribulation is over and now, she has gone
home.
That does not make this day any less sad. My thoughts for Whitney’s family,
friends and fans can be summed up in the words of another great “poet”,
Benjamin Franklin. “I condole with
you, we have lost a most dear and valuable relation, but it is the will of God
and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside when the soul is to enter
into real life… We are spirits.
That bodies should be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, assist
us in acquiring knowledge, or doing good for our fellow creatures, is a kind
and benevolent act of God.”
Writing as one of her fellow creatures, I thank God for Whitney Houston.
In that same essay, Mr. Franklin wrote, “Our friend and we
are invited abroad to a party of pleasure—that is to last forever.” I myself do not know what awaits
us. Is it heaven or the spirit
world? Whatever it is, I believe
the scheduled entertainment at the party includes a “girl group”, unparalleled
in its scope and unequalled in its talent. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
Billie Holliday, Janis Joplin, Marion Anderson, Florence
Ballard, Karen Carpenter, Alliyah, Lisa (Left-Eye) Lopes, Dusty Springfield,
Phyllis Hyman, Beverly Sills, Cass Elliot, Tammi Terrell, Minnie Riperton, Teena Marie, Amy Winehouse, Laurie Beechman,
Gertrude Lawrence, Sippie Wallace, Etta James and so many others are already there. Whitney Houston is about to join the
group.
It is an amazing jam session for which, one day we will all
have the best seat in the house.
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