Michael Jackson's memorial service today was sad, powerful, and certainly memorable. The musical performance's were often filled with emotion, especially when Usher teared up while singing "Too Soon" and Jermaine Jackson barely made it through "Smile", which was MJ's favorite song. When Jennifer Hudson sang "Will You Be There" and you actually heard an audio of Michael speaking the words it was amazing. Whew...beautiful and sad at the same time.
There were many speakers at the service. My favorite was Brooke Shields. She was one of the people who knew MJ the best. They had been friends since childhood and they could relate to each other in ways that other people could not understand. They were both child stars and had to constantly live in the spotlight and in the public eye. It was when they were together in private that they could just be themselves. She spoke about MJ's gentle heart and his sense of humor. You could just feel the bond they had. Beautiful. Magic Johnson told a story about how he and Michael sat on the floor eating a bucket of KFC while they had a business meeting. It was one of the lighter moments of the service.
I shed a few tears during the service but at the end I was a blubbering fool. Why? The service ended with the whole Jackson family and the featured guests standing on the stage singing "We Are The World". As if that wasn't emotional enough a couple of the Jackson brothers spoke and then Paris, Michael's eleven year old daughter, came forward, surrounded by family members. She said, "Ever since I was born daddy has been the best father you can imagine and I just want to say I love him so much". She broke into tears and that did me in. I cried with her. For her and with her.
I have respect for Michael Jackson the entertainer, the singer, the dancer, the writer, the humanitarian and the legend that he was. RIP King of Pop.
I feel so sad for the children. I hope they can stay with the only family they have ever known. That is what Michael wanted for them. Time will tell.
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I walked to the edge of a wildlife reserve next to my home yesterday afternoon. It was 2pm, hot and sunny. I heard a soft animal sound and when I looked up there it was...a big old owl! I do not know what type it is and would appreciate hearing from anyone who might know. I often hear hoot owls in the reserve during the night but they have a different sound then the one I saw in the daylight. There is such an abundance of wildlife here in Florida and it is great fun to see something one has not encountered before.
