Let’s Pay Tribute to the Living
Michael Jackson died last week, and I decided I would not write about that fact.
But news related to his death is everywhere today. People want to know the exact cause of death, they want to know about custody of his children, they want to know how they can get into the service planned for Tuesday at the Staples Center in L.A.
When someone dies, somewhere there is mourning. There is a loss of what that person brought to the lives of others. There is a perceived loss of what they might have done, what they might have contributed of their life had not ended.
Sometimes those close to the deceased are comforted by the many who show to pay their respects. There are times, however, where we wonder why we hadn’t gathered before the person died to let them know how important they were.
This death will continue to be news in the coming weeks, and little by little the story will burn out until a whole week goes by without any mention, then a month. Those close to Michael, especially his children, will hold their memories daily for a long time to come.
No doubt he had tremendous talent. No doubt he shared it with the world. And the world acknowledged his abilities with every record or ticket purchase made. All through his life as a performer, he received acknowledgement and praise for his work.
But many people in everyday life never hear that praise for their work and their life. When they die, people come to tell those who remain how important the deceased was to them. If we had any sense at all, we would tell each other every day how important we are to one another. Is that such a bad idea? Try it tomorrow. And maybe the day after as well.