I was 7 when Off the Wall was released.  All the older girls had crushes and all our parents were playing the album or 8 track, nonstop.  It was and is, one of the greatest albums of all time!

Then came Thriller.  By this time, I’m a teenager and completely enthralled with all things Michael.  Everyone is!  From the one handed glove, to the music videos.  We couldn’t get enough.  Who didn’t try to moonwalk, learn the Thriller dance and attempt to bust out that infamous, hip shifting move he did?  I know you tried!  We all thought we could dance.  Key word, “thought”.  Because, when you listen to Michael Jackson, you can’t help but bust a groove!

So, as the world mourns and pays tribute, let us all be reminded.  Before anything, Michael was a boy.  A boy with an angelic voice and talent like no other.  And at his death, he was a father, a son and a brother. 

Before people vilify the man they think they know, I hope they can have compassion and sympathy.   Not only for his family, but for the man that lived a life of overwhelming fame, isolation and personal loneliness.

And today, as I sit and watch my seven year old daughter “oooh and ahhh” while playing all the old videos and listening to Michael’s amazing music, I give thanks.  Thanks that even if he is gone, he left us something to pass on to our children.  His music.

From “I’ll be there”, which still makes my heart skip a beat, to “We are the World.”  His music and his beat were and are, undeniable.