** Fighting in Iraq.
** Hezbollah and al Qaeda terrorist groups.
** Africa Aug 13, 2014: UN predicts more than 100,000 children will suffer from malnutrition this year despite end of sectarian fighting.
** Ebola Virus outbreak in West Africa.
** Police violence and racial unrest in the U.S.
** Landslides, floods, kill hundreds, displace thousands in Nepal and India
** ISIS militants kill 300 MORE Yazidi men and kidnap their families
These headlines are terribly disturbing, and Michael said it best with the following poignant quote:
“We have to heal our wounded world. The chaos, despair, and senseless destruction we see today are a result of the alienation that people feel from each other and their environment.”
~ Michael Jackson ~
These are but a few of the unsavory, nay, horrific, happenings around the world this August. It would be quite easy to become so disheartened that one loses the will to live. All my life I have ‘defended’ the world, saying things like: everything happens for a reason; something good comes after something bad; we just cannot know the real reason behind anything; it’s all part of the evolution of the planet; there are many more positive things in life than negative things; there is always a calm after a storm. Although I do believe those ideas; it’s harder to believe in them some days than others. However, I do love being an Earthling. This planet is beautiful, and amazing! The flora and fauna is so diverse, as are the minerals, rocks, and shells! With all this splendid earth magic, I have to believe that we won’t destroy it all. And I have to keep the faith that my daughter, and her children, will live to wonder in amazement, and wander through the beauty of it all. Michael said it best with this quote:
“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe…”
~ Michael Jackson ~
The month of August also brings tears to my eyes and a heaviness to my heart because it’s Michael’s birthday month. Five years-plus without Him, and five is my birth number, and I was born at exactly 5PM. I’ve always celebrated the fact that Michael and I were both born on the 29th…Him in August, me in March. I have 29 letters in my name as well, which reinforces my love for this number, and my feeling of closeness to Michael…I grasp at any straw… This month, as has been my way every August, I think of Michael, and my stomach flips with love, longing, and regret. I used to think of Him with hopes and dreams, which turned into regret for never meeting Him. Now, that regret is compounded with the sadness of how He was taken from us so shamelessly, so cruelly. I grew up talking to God about Michael, and my overwhelming love for Him. The very first dream I ever had with Michael was when I was very young, and He and I were looking at God together. After Michael was taken from Earth, I was angry at God for a while. I was just so dammed sad, but I continue to thank God for Michael being born during my lifetime, on August 29, 1958. Most of the anger has subsided, but to this day I still question the how and why of this mysterious connection, my love, and the absence. However, Michael’s following quote gives me comfort:
“But for me the sweetest contact with God has no form. I close my eyes, look within, and enter a deep soft silence. The infinity of God's creation embraces me.”
~ Michael Jackson ~
This month has indeed been a rough month, but at the same time…for my family…it’s also been a busy, happy, and momentous month. I am trying to reconcile both emotions in my mind…the yin-yang of it all…the difficult balance. We celebrated my mother’s birthday on the 8th. I feel lucky to have her, at 72, still in my life. She is an amazing mother and friend. She has always been in my corner. I know one day she will go, so I will enjoy and respect her TODAY as much as possible! We also celebrated my only child, and daughter’s birthday on the 11th. This b-day was bittersweet for me since she turned 18. I’m not ready for her to be so grown-up! I’m proud of her and love her terribly, but am sad at how fast she’s growing up. As much as I believe in her as a responsible young adult, I miss my little girl…the snuggling, the feeling that she really needed me every day. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m an educated person, and I know this is the way of life. Intellectually, we want our children to grow-up, mature, and begin an autonomous life…..but my heart cannot help but feel the weight of it all. Knowing that this is the way life works, and feeling it in my heart, are two very different things! This next quote by Michael put these feelings in perspective for me:
“Human knowledge consists not only of libraries of parchment and ink - it is also comprised of the volumes of knowledge that are written on the human heart, chiseled on the human soul, and engraved on the human psyche. ”
~ Michael Jackson ~
HAPPY DAY OF BIRTH TO YOU…..SWEET SPIRIT…..SWEET MICHAEL…..MY MICHAEL
I celebrate you today, as I do every day.……....