Gone Too Soon - Michael Jackson's Prophetic Song

I thought I knew most of the great songs for dealing with loss, but this one, "Gone Too Soon" written by Michael Jackson came out while I was in Medical School and didn't get much air play, so was one that I missed.

The song has been going through my head since I heard Usher sing it at the memorial services. The song is a beautiful message of sadness and sorrow over the loss of a friend, but more so as a prophetic message of Michael Jackson's own passing.

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire,
To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

"Gone Too Soon" is a song written by Michael Jackson as a Musical Memorial Tribute for his friend Ryan White, a young boy at the center of the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980's. Ryan was a hemophiliac who contracted the disease from blood transfusions, before the blood supply was screened.

You can watch a live performance of the song by Michael Jackson below from President Clinton's 1992 Inaugural Ball.



Knowing Life Might End Too Soon
Sometimes people have a sense of their own mortality. Working with younger hospice patients in particular, one gets a sense that they know they are dying.

According to Lisa Marie Presley, Michael Jackson's wife, he may have had a sense, a knowing that he would die young, like her father (Elvis Presley) had. Soon after his death she posted on her MySpace Page, Michael had told her:

"I am afraid that I am going to end up like him (Elvis), the way he did."

I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

Their conversation would have occurred several years after "Gone Too Soon" was recorded and released.

Passing the Torch
This poignant, prophetic nature of this song also reminds me of a quote that seems to apply by George Bernard Shaw:

Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

Michael Jackson now joins the rankings of Princess Diana, John Lennon, John F. Kennedy Jr., Steve Irwin, John Denver and John Kennedy and so many others who shone brightly as possible but passed that torch on much too soon.

P.S.
This blog post was the inspiration to create a tribute lens on Squidoo for all of those, famous and not so famous who have Gone Too Soon.

Image Source: NASA. Comets. Planetary Systems Library. Government Document.

Smile - A Beautiful Heartfelt Musical Memorial

It was only fitting at the Michael Jackson memorial service that was a celebration of his life ceremony that there were so many moving musical tributes. This service was a event shared around the world, a moment when the world stopped to grieve, to breathe and to remember together.

One of the more touching moment for me came first with Brooke Shields reminiscences that Michael Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. His brother Jermaine took the stage with his version of "Smile."



"Smile" has been one of my favorite songs, a song that helps people cope with death and loss. The words of "Smile" offer hope as a way of making it though on those tough days.

Smile though your heart is aching;
Smile even though it's breaking.

That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.

Smile is a good song to remember and to listen to on days when the world seems to b e filled with sadness, like this day when we said good by to the person being called "the greatest entertainer that has ever lived."

More
Dyer K. Smile Though Your Heart is Aching. Squidoo.
Dyer K. 2007. Life is still worthwhile if you just smile - An Inspirational Song by Josh Groban. Grief, Loss and Transitions Blog.

Pocket Cemetery Inspired by Recent Celebrity Deaths

The pre-release of the new iPhone app, Pocket Cemetery has been inspired by the recent series of celebrity deaths, most notably Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon and Billy Mays.

Remembering Michael Jackson


Remembering Farrah Fawcett and Billy Mays


About Pocket Cemetery

According to their Website Pocket Cemetery is the first iPhone application that allows users to create virtual memorials for departed loved ones using customizable tombstones with pictures, bios and favorite memories. Users can easily create personalized plots for dead relatives, friends, pets, celebrities or anyone they want to memorialize. Aside from creating memorials, Pocket Cemetery also allows users to place virtual flowers on graves along with sending personal prayers and messages to dead loved ones.

Debating the Merits of Pocket Cemetery

Technology people are twittering and debating the merits of an application like Pocket Cemetery. Many feel it is exploiting those who have experienced a loss. With an introductory price of $1.99 and the regular price of $2.99, it seems like a very small price to pay for an application that could be very beneficial in helping someone cope with a loss.

Share Your thoughts on Pocket Cemetery

You can share your thoughts on Pocket Cemetery on the Pocket Cemetery page or by Tweeting your thoughts on Twitter with the hashcode #iGrief.

I am curious to know what some of the other people in the fields of grief, loss, bereavement and death and dying think about using new technologies to help those grieving a loss.

More:

Dyer K. 2009. Pocket Cemetery: A Way to Carry Departed Loved Ones in a Pocket. Squidoo.com.

Press Release. 2009. New iPhone App Memorializes Dead Loved Ones In The Palm Of Your Hand. PRWeb.

Rest in Peace - June's Deaths

People often believe when a celebrity dies, they go in three's. This isn't the case for the month of June.

There must be something in the air or the planets must be in the wrong alignment during the month of June. In the span of a couple of weeks we have lost more than just a few celebrities. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays and early in the month David Carradine.

Hopefully the trend won't be continuing into July. Yesterday we saw the death of Karl Malden.

Some of these deaths were more anticipated--Ed McMahon and Karl Malden both advanced ages, Farrah Fawcett battling cancer--some of these deaths were sudden, accidental and unexpected--Michael Jackson and Billy Mays both only 50 years old.

I found this image from Mary Ann Hernandez this morning and the photo was such a good visual and a healing visual in some ways. It helped put all of these deaths into some perspective.

The other song that has been going through my head this week after hearing the death of Michael Jackson is the Righteous Brothers, Rock and Roll Heaven.

If there's a rock and roll heaven,
Well you know they've got a hell of a band.

Thoughts and condolences to all of the families, friends and fans of those who have died this June.

More:
Dyer KA. 2009. Twitter to Announce Deaths, Send Sympathies and Condolences. Squidoo.
Dyer KA. 2009. June 25, 2009. A “Where were you when…” Day. Grief, Loss and Bereavement Edublog.

Image Source: Mary Ann Hernandez. R.I.P. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

Strength in Adversity - Quote from Grey's Anatomy

Another inspiring quote came from Grey's Anatomy Season 5's Episode 19. The quote is part of the speech that Derek gives to Meredith in their unorthodox "proposal."

This quote from Derek focuses on being strong in the face of adversity.

You say
you’re all dark and twisty,
it’s not a flaw,
it’s a strength.
It makes you who you are.

I managed to find the perfect dark and twisty image to accompany the quote.

Image Source: Lynne Lancaster. Black Sun, Dead Tree. Royalty Free Use.

Surviving a Crisis - Quote from Grey's Anatomy

This quote came from Grey's Anatomy Season 5's Episode 19. It is probably one of my favorite quotes on surviving a crisis.

The quote is part of what Derek tells Meredith when giving her reasons why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

If there is a crisis you don't freeze, you move forward.
You get the rest of us to move forward, because you've seen worse.
You've survived worse and you know--we'll survive too.

This quote really hit home for me as it would for anyone who has survived a major loss. It is a beautiful testament to survivors. "You get the rest of us to move forward, because you've seen worse."

I loved the quote so much that I went back to listen to the episode so I could write it down and then had it put on a mug for myself.

I can't help but think how many times in the past this would have inspired me to keep moving forward. Now I can keep it on my desk as a reminder to keep going.

Water Blessing Labels a Way to Help with Healing and Coping

I discovered the Spirit of Water website in 2007 and immediately was drawn to the concept of these Water Blessing Labels. I have always been inspired by words and quotes. These Blessing Labels provided an easy way to help focus one's intention on health and healing, by putting labels on things that you use or that you see from water bottles to mirrors or windows.

The labels serve as a reminder of what you want to be focusing upon whether "health," "healing," "miracles," "faith," "courage," "energy" or many other words and symbols. As a physician their motto resonate with me:

Transform your water into Liquid Prayers.

What are Water Blessing Labels?
Water Blessing Labels are reusable static cling blessing labels allow you to using words as a simple way to enhance healing especially in the hospital setting and turn water or medicine being given to a patient into a liquid blessing. They can also be used to create liquid blessings for family members with words such as "guidance," "acceptance," "courage" and "faith."

Blessing Patients with "Liquid Prayers"
The imagery of "Liquid Prayers" or "Liquid Blessings" was one that really resonated. The labels were a way to enhance the healing process, especially for patients who believe in the power of intention. An example from the website really hit home for me:

After you shared the idea of putting healing labels on I.V. bags for chemo therapy, I took the ones I had bought for myself and got permission to use them on the I.V. bags of some of my patients in hospice care. I usually use "love" but sometimes I ask the patient what they want to use. Some use other words from the set.

I think it has made all the difference in the morale of those who undergo their treatments. I can see the amazing difference in their attitudes.

Thanks for that brilliant contribution.

Bonnie M., Ames, IA

It didn't take much for me to make the leap about how we might have used Water Blessing Labels when my youngest was in the NICU, to bless her fluids and to help us focus and stay positive by scattering inspiring, motivational messages all around. One of the things that was so frustrating as a NICU parent was the feeling that there wasn't much you could do. Using water blessing labels was a way to do something and also to focus positive thoughts on healing.

You can find out more about the Water Blessing Labels and other products at their website, The Spirit of Water.

More about the Water Blessing Labels:

Dyer KA. 2009. Spirit of Water - Love is in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2007. Water Blessing LabelsTurn Water (or Medicine) into Liquid Prayers. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2008. Water Blessing Labels. Squidoo.com

Image Source: The Spirit of Water Website.