Think for a minute about your favorite artists and the
reason you listen to their music.
Perhaps you like their style, or their catchy lyrics, or their music
speaks to you. We’ve all heard
these. For many of us, we feel like we
know the artists we listen to because we can relate to them in some way. While we dream of meeting them one day, we
may never truly know them because they are celebrities and while they live
among us, they live in a different world than us.
Christina Grimmie was a celebrity, who though I never met, I
feel as if I knew her. She lived in our
world. She was funny, charismatic and
radiated joy in every video she ever posted.
It wasn’t just her larger than life voice that lit up the stage, but her
laughter, smile, and goofy side too. She
was a normal teenager when she began posting her YouTube videos and when she
went onto the Voice, she was just like one of us, living out her dream of becoming
the singer she was destined to be.
I recall “discovering” her covers on YouTube and thinking how cool it would be to interview her. She made videos I wished I could make.
I loved her rocker, sparkly, style. I loved her countless hairstyles, whether it
was choppy, or curly, or blue. But most
of all, I loved how her personality came out in every single performance she
ever gave. On her audition for the
Voice, she literally gave me chills. She
got a 4 chair turn because she was THAT good.
I can’t recall ever shedding a tear over someone I’ve never met until
today.
Even as I write this, I am in still in shock, wondering how
such a sweet, innocent, 22 year-old who was always smiling is now gone. Even in her last moments on earth, she was about
to embrace her attacker. I am angry and sad. I don’t understand why these countless tragedies
continue to occur.
Christina didn’t deserve this. Her mother survived breast cancer three times
and now has to bury her daughter. Her
brother had to watch it all unfold in front of his very eyes. The world was robbed of a true, God given
talent who did nothing but bring joy to her family, friends and fans. Sadly, I will never get to meet her or see
her perform live and that angers me too.
As I drove home from work today, Aerosmith’s “Dream On” came
on, and I think its lyrics are rather appropriate here: “Sing with me, sing for
the year/ Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear/ Sing with me, just for
today/ Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away…”
The Good Lord did take her away but I know she is up there
smiling down on us with her beautiful smile.
Please take care of her up there and bless her family. And Christina, please know that you inspired
so many people to be themselves and to pursue their dreams. You will be missed. #RIP
