Loss is Loss

The recent death of Whitney Houston has brought out the ire in a lot of folks that say that there's people dying all the time overseas and they aren't celebrated as much as Whitney has been.

Very fair point.

Loss is loss. Whether we know that sergeant who has a family of 4 or the singer whose life was curtailed by drugs or other substances - both people leave behind a following of folks that are affected. Granted, the sergeant won't get the accolades or constant banner headlines as much as Whitney did, but I'd argue that the families of the sergeant wouldn't want that during their time of grief anyway.

So while I understand the arguments from both sides - we have two people gone from our collective lives. I don't have to know the sergeant to bereave his loss or the loss to his family. I don't have to know Whitney or the tabloid-esque story she lived to bereave her loss to an industry as an entertainer.

Now...

For those that say that I have no right or claim to feel sad for Whitney's passing because "you never knew her" - well those folks lead a very narrow view in life. I'm not about to tell someone how or under which circumstances by which they should or shouldn't grieve. Who am I to say what affects a person? Just because I hadn't personally shook the hands of the deceased doesn't mean I shouldn't be sad or affected by their passing.

Grief is personal. How I choose to grieve or not grieve is my personal decision as it is yours. Grieving is a natural part of life because all things eventually pass on. So instead of building up walls or processes that doesn't allow those emotions to be absorbed ... we grieve because we embrace life and those who we have allowed into our lives.