Whitney Houston added to the list of celebrities who we’ve lost too soon.

posted on

It is so hard to not be saddened by the loss of such an incredible talent.  Whitney Houston defined my childhood.  I grew up to hearing those golden pipes flowing into my room and swirling around me while I roller-skated.  Her voice defined my generation. I cannot hear one of her songs without being flooded with great memories of growing up and wanting to dance with someone or wanting to find that greatest love of all!

Addiction-what a horrible beast it is.  It sweeps into the most glamorous of lives and destroys them. It can take a beautiful person and change them into something no one recognizes.  It can take a voice as flawless as Whitney’s and mar it beyond repair as we saw with her last single.

While no cause of death is determined at this time, its impossible to ignore the toll addiction had on Whitney’s career, appearance, voice and life. There is no way that her untimely death cannot and will not be a direct offshoot of her years in addiction.

The human body and spirit can only take so much. You cannot continue to abuse drugs, whether prescribed by a doctor or coped by a dealer; to the extent she did and not have dire consequences.

People marvel at those who have it all and yet continue to chose to destroy it on a daily basis.  Addiction is big. It takes over ones life. It is the beast that is never full and never satisfied.  It always wants more.  Much like the ills of fame.  Fame, money, power, its seems in this society we can never have enough and once people get a taste of the good life they just want more.  Until more isn’t enough and they become engulfed in a reality that is so far from real they only place to go is down and dark. Many incredibly talented people turn to addiction in some way to further their quest for more.  And more turns into death.

My heart goes out to Whitney’s family and fans.  The pain that loved ones experience while observing an addict is unimaginable.  It is the single most powerless position a person can be placed in.  A front row seat to a train wreck that no matter what you say, do, want, pray for and beg for cannot be stopped.  Addicts must come to the realization themselves that they indeed need and want help; many come to the place of need but rarely to the place of want.  And there in lies the reason most addicts do not recover and unfortunately die from this insidious disease.

It is a heartbreaking loss and an all too common societal issue. I am beyond grateful that some how I found the desire to want to get clean and sober.  I knew for years that I needed it, but it took me wanting it to finally get me to a place where I could follow a program that allowed me to change my life.  I’m tired of grieving the damage of addiction—I want to celebrate the hope, joy and freedom of recovery. Recovery is possible and it is real, I wish nothing more for others to be able to find what I have been given in my life.

Share this page