Free Flowing Friday

Sorry I've been so absent this week, but I've been under the weather and haven't felt like writing. Of course, with a few extra minutes on my hands, my Free Flowing Friday thoughts have been on the poor family of Michael Jackson.

I truly enjoyed MJ's music when I was a kid - what child growing up in the 60s and 70s didn't? I also realize it was his decision to put himself into the public eye and he garnered fame and fortune by being a celebrity superstar.

But in his family's moment of grief, why can't the media leave him alone? When my sister died 4 years ago, my grief was almost unbearable. If I had been subjected to her presence on every news channel in the world every time I turned on the TV, I would have gone insane.

And now the media is pulling those poor children into this mess! Give me a break! These little kids only know MJ as their father - nothing more. Who cares if they were conceived with a sperm donor? Who cares if the mother gave up her rights? These children didn't ask for this. And to continual roll the footage of his little daughter in her greatest moment of grief - it is despicable. The news channels keep rolling this footage over and over and over.

As for MJ being a child molester, I know the court of public opinion thinks he is guilty, but he was proven innocent in a court of law. I have my own thoughts about his guilt or innocence, but it doesn't matter what I think - a jury of his peers found him innocent. Period.

Now we are being subjected to all his possible medical problems and drug addictions. I personally feel someone's medical history should remain private. As a RN, I know the value of the privacy laws - I just wish everyone would quit speculating on what was wrong with him. We know there are corrupt doctors all over the country who cater to the rich and famous - we've already been through this with Anna Nicole Smith and Heath Ledger, just to name the recent ones.

My point in all of this is to be empathetic to the family and let them grieve in peace. Not matter if your rich or poor, black or white, or male or female - everyone should be allowed to grieve the loss of a loved one without it being fodder to grab ratings.

Overwhelming Grief

One of my writing prompt blogs recently asked the following question:

What one moment in your past do you wish was immortalized in a photograph?

My answer would be the weekend of January 8th, 2005, because I did not know my baby sister would be dead by January 11th.



We had the most wonderful weekend together - she actually sent the night at my house and we watched vampire movies and talked all weekend. My hubby even arranged for her to see "Dark Side of the Rainbow" - which is basicallly watching "The Wizard of Oz" and listening to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". She had never done that, so my hubby surprised her on Saturday night.

Monday morning, I helped her get enrolled for her spring semester in nursing school. Tuesday she was dead, at age 39, of a heart attack.

My life has never been the same. It has been 4 years today, and I still think of my sister every single day. Some days are better than others, but some days are just pure hell.

We have family Christmas photos from a few weeks before her death, but I wish we had thought to take pictures of that wonderful weekend.

Today has been an extremely hard day for me. I thought grief was supposed to lessen after time, but I miss my sister as much today as I did the day she died. I've spent most of my day writing, but much of what I've written has taken a very dark turn, so I probably won't be sharing it here, or on my writing blog.

I just need to get through today with my sanity intact.