You Are Not Alone

Don’t tune out, this is not about Michael Jackson, although it may appear that way at first. I have not followed the circus that has been going on since his death. Didn’t watch the memorial, however saw a few clips while I was waiting for my diet coke in McDonald’s. (TV in McDonald’s?) I saw the one where his daughter spoke about him. I wasn’t blown away by a child telling the world she loves her dad and that he was a great dad. My kids say that about Steve on a regular basis. I would say it about my dad. I think that is normal. Why is it so earth shattering that a child loved her father? And Jermaine, getting choked up singing at Michael’s funeral? I sang at my Grandpa’s funeral and I was emotional. Again, I think that is normal behavior. What bothered me about this circus, or at least one thing that bothered me about this circus, is:
WHERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO LOVED MICHAEL AND THOUGHT HE WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER FOR THE LAST MESSED UP YEARS OF HIS LIFE?
I don’t remember Brooke Shields standing by his side through all the charges, court trials, etc. I don’t remember hearing Smoky Robinson publicly telling the world how great Michael was and he couldn’t have done this terrible stuff. What I remember seeing was a sad lonely man surrounded by people he had to pay to be on his side. I thought about the price of fame. We have seen many instances of the high price, OJ, Brittany, and Lindsay to name a few. And this brings me to my point.
Do the people in your life that you love know you love them? Do they know that you support them? Do they feel like they can come to you with a problem and get good advice and dare I say, even some help? I think many of us live our lives closed off to the world because we don’t want to admit we have problems. Our kids are rebellious. We don’t have enough money. Relationships with our parents are strained. We have health issues. Worse than these, how about a personal struggle that can be seen as a failure or a weakness? Eating too much, shopping too much, watching the wrong stuff on television, having bitterness against someone; and then feeling like you can’t break the cycle on your own but being afraid to ask for help. You don’t have to be able to say that its okay, or everyone does it or pretend it’s not sin. But wouldn’t we all love to have a friend that when we say I’m struggling with this in my life, and it’s not pleasing to God and it’s making me miserable and I know it’s wrong and I need help, and then get help? And have them still be your friend. A friend who understands struggling and says I’m on your side, I’m here to help, You Are Not Alone (sorry, couldn’t help myself, this is my favorite MJ song). We got to get this fixed, but I’ll help you. I’ll Be There, Just Call My Name (sorry). I’ll help keep you accountable.
I want the people in my life to know how wonderful and special they are while they are still alive. I want them to know they brought joy to my life while I can still tell them. I want them to know I appreciate their generosity, their weird sense of humor, their listening to me go on and on (and on) about my problems and still coming back for more of me. I want everyone I love to know that I love them. I don’t want people I love to live lonely and feel like no one cares because I didn’t take the time to tell them while they were alive. I don’t want them to feel forgotten. SIDE STORY: One of my dearest friends in the world grew up in the same school and church with me and lives 3.5 miles down the road. Our parents are friends, our daughters are friends, even though they don’t go to the same school, or church, and there is a year’s age difference. Sheila told me one day her daughter came home from school after a particularly rough day, getting queen bee’d, and said “At least Whitney is still my friend”. I want to be that friend. When something bad has happened, or even if you have done something wrong and feel really bad about yourself, you can say and believe it that “at least Patsy is still my friend”. I should be, because God knows there shouldn’t be any judgment coming from me. I have made a mess of my life, I’m Bad (again, sorry) and in addition, life has knocked me around on a lot of things that are out of my control. I really should be the friend that gets it.
Want you all to know, I’m just a blog comment, facebook message, email or phone call away. They all come to my blackberry and I’m never without it. I promise, I’ll be there.