Got 'til its gone

Have you ever thought about how fragile life really is? I guess that it is not something you think about on a daily basis. The world was rocked last week by the sudden death of a pop legend, but would the reaction been the same if Michael Jackson had died of old age in some sort of pop-megastar retirement home? It was the sudden nature of his death that shocked so many, especially those who were planning to see him in concert at some point in a few short weeks time.

 

There’s an old saying ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til its gone’ which I think is relevant here. When Elvis Presley died in 1977 there was a similar outpouring of grief and sadness, but by this stage of his carrier Elvis was just performing in Las Vegas and was a shadow of the superstar he once was. Yet when he died the world mourned the loss of an incredible entertainer and still his songs continue to top the charts whenever a significant anniversary rolls around. The same will probably be the case for Michael Jackson. His songs are already climbing back up the charts and his albums are sold out everywhere. There are so many people paying tribute to him on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter yet how many of them really cared while he was alive?

 

I, like most boy of my generation, went through a Michael Jackson faze. I even dressed as him for a school fancy dress day once. I am still a big fan of his music and always would have bought a new album without even hearing most of it. I must also admit that his behaviour in recent years had alarmed me to the point that I didn’t really want to know anymore about him as a person, still I was gutted on Thursday night when the news of his passing filtered through. God had given him many talents and he did do a lot of good in the world and we should remain thankful for that.  

 

I think the lesson we need to learn from all this is to really appreciate everything and everyone that God has brought into our lives, and let them know how much we appreciate them. Take some time this week to really talk to your friends and family and let them know how much you love and care for them because you never know what is around the corner.