On Thursday, June 25, 2009, the world received shocking news of the sudden death of our beloved entertainment icon, Michael Jackson. I was filled with shock and disbelief as I read the text message from my friend. I heard that TMZ broke the story and soon learned that radio stations around the country were playing his music in acknowledgement of his death. I turned on CNN, who respectfully refused to prematurely report the news of his passing, The word was that he was in a coma. I clung on to some sign of hope. I texted another friend and asked if Michael Jackson had passed away. But, as I got quiet and contemplated on my limited understanding of the difference between cardiac arrest and a heart attack, I saw an image of his happy little spirit float away. I texted my friend back and said, "Yes, I believe he's gone".

As a music lover, he's been such an iconic figure in my life. I reflected on his concert and how exciting it was to see him in person and watch, in awe, as he disappeared from one side of the stage and magically reappeared in another part of Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. My two long-time favorite artists, Prince and Michael Jackson, have always made me feel good on a gloomy day. I remember as a little girl becoming a Prince fan, with his first album "For You'. I remember singing "So Blue" in the basement of our home. But, I don't ever remember actually "becoming" a Michael Jackson fan. I have always been a Michael Jackson, fan. He's just always been around. And to a mushy little four eyed girl from Nebraska, my music icons were my way of escaping to a world outside of the lackluster city.

I remember crying every time I heard the song "Ben" and not being old enough to respond to my grandmother's, inquisitive, frustrating observation of my tears. I remember my cousin, Damion, who has also passed on, singing "Mama Say Mama Sah Ma Mah Koo Sah" at school one Monday after buying the album over the weekend. I recall the innocent, dreamy look in his eyes and the devilish way he danced around girls in his videos. I remember being totally obsessed with his Motown Anniversary performance where he moon-walked in public for the first time. Me and my brother pop locked and moon-walked in the basement for hours after seeing that performance. I recall my heavy heart as I watched him overwhelmed with emotional pain as he hobbled into the child molestation trial in pajamas, aided by his assistants. He was a part of the family.

He was navigating the waters of diversity and breaking down barriers at break-neck speed. In his short life time he opened up doors for more artists, entertainers and business people than many can lay claim to or that he will ever truly be given credit. They say when you get rich by the creative means you offer a ladder to those who come behind you. And he did just that.

His life was filled with so much controversy, from the ill-effects of plastic surgery, the burn accident during the Pepsi commercial, the allegations of child molestation and the change in his skin color, to name a few. The media constantly made fun of him calling him Wacko-Jacko and laughing at his relationship with his pet monkey, Bubbles and his quick marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.

But Michael's attraction power was truly amazing. I'm convinced that there has to be some type of divine favor that allows a person to affect and influence people the way he did. When you remove all the bizarre behavior from the equation and look at him as a pure talent and energy, it's easy to see why he deserves a chapter in a textbook on human potential. I'm smart enough to know that abundance and attraction power come from within. And I'm curious enough to wonder what switch he was able to access within himself that made him so multi-culturally and generationally alluring. I'm also curious enough to wonder what switch he turned off, that made him so confused, controversial and misunderstood.

I've been around the block enough to know that you can't believe everything you hear and that when someone brings you news you should look carefully into it. I've been around celebrities and high profile people and in settings where they offer an interview to the press and when the piece is aired you find yourself saying, "Were we all in the same room?" or "Where did they get that from?" Because often times the report is so vastly different from reality.

So, I won't judge you dear Michael. Nor will I attach the painful rumors to my mental legacy of you. I don't know the truth, nor does it even matter anymore. That's between you and your Creator. I will celebrate your goodness and the energy you shared so freely. And I pray to be as great in my endeavors of good as you were in yours. Rest in peace my dear friend. You are gone but not forgotten. May your family be comforted and accept your transition as God's Will. May your legacy of good outweigh your mistakes and shortcomings. We all wanted one more tour, one more album and one more experience with you. But the Author of Life called you home and I know you went with a smile.