There were so many moments during the live-to-air "homegoing" funeral service that brought me to tears. Donnie McClurkin, whose church I've visited in New York back in the day when I was searching the Christian path; Clive Davis' last words to Whitney, holding her to her promise to get her voice on point by August (cuz you know Miss Whitney "The Voice" Houston has already been commissioned by God Source to sing a solo in Heaven's choir). Of the musical guests, Stevie Wonder's personalized rendition of Ribbon in the Sky (one of my all time favourite songs) touched me the most.
R. Kelly, Kevin Costner, Cece Winans and family- the list of emotional moments goes on and on.
As I listened to the personal memories shared by close friends and family, I too was brought back to a special memory I have of Whitney. No, I never met her. No I never went to a concert. But there was a time I wanted to be her. As a child I would consider myself a chubby ugly duckling. I loved to sing although I was not quite good at it. Whitney Houston was everything I wanted to be- gorgeous, tall, slender, had long hair (...me and my colonialized thoughts), popular, with the biggest most beautiful voice I had ever heard!
When I was in 2nd grade, I tried out for the Air Band Show at my elementary school. My group had been one of the acts chosen to perform in the show. I was beyond excited. The song I chose was "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston. Two of my friends were my back up dancers. My excitement was short-lived when my teacher used her authority to coerce me into agreeing to let about 10 first graders from my class (it was a 1st/2nd grade split), who didn't get into the show into my performance. I immediately said 'no' but thanks to an effective guilt trip I changed my answer.
I had dreamed about this performance, prayed about it! Me, lip sync-ing my heart out, whipping my ribbon wrapped pigtails back and forth as I danced and pranced on the gymnasium stage in all my glory with my back-up dancers complementing my every move. A bunch of bratty, snot-nosed first graders were not in my vision of grandeur. Sadly, my choreographed dance for 2 was ruined by these incredibly unrhythmic tots waving their hands and sashaying their hips to a beat that had nothing to do with the song. This woman (my teacher whom I blame to this day) had turned my night to shine into a fiasco that can only be described as a H.A.M (Hot Ass Mess)! *sigh*
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| An 80's Song Favourite: I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston |
As a final gesture to pay my respects to a woman whose talent is undeniable and irreplaceable, I write an open letter:
To Whitney, now in non-physical form; for you there is no distance between space and time. You like many others before you now know that death is nothing to fear because for the human spirit there is no death. Our spirits are microcosmic embodiments of the Eternal Being from wence they came. We need not the house of a physical body to live throughout eternity just as our Creator lives. You have transcended this life, and for a time get to re-emerge with the Creator before your desire to expand causes you to rebirth into yet another physical form. Your memories live on. Your music lives on. You have inspired in both life and death.
May you R.I.P (Rest in Paradise) and L.I.V (Live in Victory). Thank you for telling me the greatest love of all is inside of me. I will always love you, Whitney. (*tears)
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| Ode To Whitney: The World Will Always Love You! |
