RIP Whitney Houston

It was a sad day. Whitney Houston, arguably one of the greatest voices of our time, passed away at the Beverly Hilton. She was to perform that evening for Clive Davis’ Grammy party. What was to be a party, turned into an evening long eulogy and time of sharing Whitney’s loss.

There were many offers of sympathy on social networks such as Facebook. And even more coverage in the mainstream media. It became “all Whitney, all the time” for hours. And I’m sure we will hear much more as the days go on towards her funeral.

Along with the sympathy have come many who, instead of appreciating her talent, have chosen to bash her for her failures. As we all know, Whitney had problems with addiction. And those addictions eventually took not only her voice and her physical beauty, but her life. It is such a shame, really. Her voice was like none other. Her ability to hit the most difficult notes with such amazing vocal control was breath-taking! We all listened with rapt attention to her. Her beauty and talent won her accolades and awards by the dozens. Gold and platinum records lined her walls. But if we learn anything from Whitney’s passing, let us learn this difficult lesson:

It doesn’t matter who you are, inside we are all the same. We long for love. We seek approval. We feel insecure. We all struggle. The only difference? Whitney had to do it in public. The pressure must have been overwhelming.

Like me, I’m sure there are others who would put the blame on Bobby Brown. Whitney started her downward spiral after her long-time marriage to Bobby. Their time together was, to say the least, tumultuous. And to top it off, they made it a reality show. Pressure intensified. I can’t say Bobby didn’t have a hand in her demise. I believe he did. But anyone who has had to deal with addictive personalities knows you make mistakes. You give in. You give up. You go along. You keep the peace. Unfortunately, it doesn’t lead to a lasting peace…really.

So we are left with her body of work. A body of work that is beyond measure. No matter what Whitney sang, she sang it with all her soul. And regardless of her failures, one surely can’t find fault in her talent. So as we all feel her loss, as fans who have followed her. Prayed for her. Hoped for her. Let us remember her at her best. She deserves that.