I Feel Them All

Woke up to the news of another entertainer gone

Another piece of the history, my history; now officially a part of history

Today also marks the anniversary of the loss of a legend

Michael. Sweet Michael.

15 years, but it still feels like yesterday

I’ve never forgotten the sadness of that moment

And I’ll never forget the pain of this moment

I feel them all, just as I always have

Michael. Seth, a.k.a. Shifty. Whitney. Selena. Aaron. Lucille. Thomas Mikal. Prince. Betty Wright. Betty White.

Figments of yesterday and our day, all parts of this life – our lives.

The music. The laughter. The legends. The idols.

The ones gone too soon. The ones who had more to give.

We grew up with these people, through memory or the memory of others

They gave us inspiration

Gave us smiles

Gave us reasons to hold tight to the treasures of life

Music. Laughter. Dance. Connection. Love.

We forget how important these things are

How artists and art help to keep them close

Keep us close. Keep us connected.

We are all connected. We forget that sometimes, too.

And because of this, I mourn. I allow myself to grieve.

Those I didn’t know, but knew better than most.

Life goes on. History updates… but we’re still here.

Don’t ignore the sadness. Don’t mock the mournful.

Feel them. Feel them all.

We’re all we’ve got.