Michael Jackson

Today, the world bore witness to an outburst of emotion that knew no geographical boundaries or demarcations of race, age and class; despite all the frills, what we just witnessed was a touching farewell to a man who inspired millions.

Truth be told, I had not expected to have any strong emotion during the service. But as family, friends and fans alike took to the stage one after another to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, the vacuum of his absence became all too apparent.

We’ve all had a lot of questions regarding Michael in the past, questions that alienated some of his fans. However, when a weeping 11 year old child tells you “ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine”, how can you not lay to rest burning judgments and criticisms? All too often, we tend to forget that the people that we elevate to great heights are also human and thus subject to our often judgmental expectations.

I have never been a big fan of Al Sharpton but when he declared to Michael’s children that “there wasn’t nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it.” I felt chagrined because in all of this hoopla about Michael, we forgot that he was only human and as such fallible. To watch a friend cry on stage as she recalled her relationship with a man that she described as pure, I could not help but shed a tear as well.

To all those who mourn Michael Jackson today, I have this to share from the Bhagavad Gita “consciousness is eternal, it is not vanquished with the destruction of the temporary body”. Know that then, the legacies of those who have gone ahead remain. To his family, we hope you can find some solace in the legacy that Michael Jackson left behind.

Michael, you left the world a better place in the only way you knew how; your passing created a void which can never be filled, rest in peace knowing that you were loved. To everyone who has lost loved ones recently, we extend our condolences to you and your families.