Michael Jackson 29/8/58-25/6/09

This drawing was done by Brett, you can guess who it is!

Last night I watched Michael Jackson’s memorial. I was determined to see it and not to get upset in front of my son. Unfortunately that didn’t last long. Brett was sat with me and although I don’t remember the song I grabbed Brett’s arms and started swaying them from side to side. My tears continued when Brooke Shields came on stage and at various places during the service.

My husband asked why I was upset. It’s hard to be specific. I have ‘grown up’ with Michael Jackson and remember being at home poorly when dad brought Thriller home on video to watch. I also recall something else happening and I played ‘Got to be there’ so when I hear that song it invariably gets me teary. For the last six months or so having mistakenly introduced Brett to Thriller he has watched, listened, sang and danced even gone to bed listening to Michael Jackson. I jokingly named him the ‘King of toddler pop’.

He has all the moves :-)

We will continue to appreciate the talent of Michael Jackson and maybe I should just be grateful for being around to experience the genius but I am still sad. Sad that when I was little I thought it was the bees’ knees to grow up and be a pop ‘star’. We were going to be called ‘The Sapphires’. Michael Jackson so we are led to believe had a strict upbringing with very little time for a childhood as we know it and as far as we know the latter part was tarred with allegations, depression, over use of prescription drugs and ultimately his untimely death. Whilst fans the world over were counting down the days till they were about to soak up the whole phenomenon at his ‘This is it’ tour. Well unfortunately for everyone this was it but I am grateful for the small piece of Michael Jackson that I experienced and the piece that may continue on in my son.

‘You touched our heat in different ways. Now we wish you peace and love, always!’