Today is one day after someone called me to ask whether I had heard that Whitney Houston had died. Of course I hadn't heard that... because she hadn't died. I was on my way to the supermarket and when I got there, I looked carefully into the faces of the shoppers. You see, I wanted to find signs that an alarming tragedy had not just happened. Seeing nothing, I asked two customers... but they knew nothing. My hope was alive, albeit fleeting. I was starting to see news on my smartphone. Of course, now we all know the story is true even though it took a while to be reported. Sad.
Sadder yet were the quick reports re-emphasizing the less glorious parts of Whitney's life. Certainly, the star of Whitney Houston had shone brightly in its time, hadn't it? Maybe I am one of the few who was surprised at her passing. Surprised because I was waiting for the movie Sparkle, and the new starts that would accompany it. Surprised because I knew Whitney was trying to make a comeback. Surprised because I wanted Whitney to finish strong and triumphant. And maybe she did.
In searching for a way to make sense of this passing that for me feels devastatingly shocking and so, so sad, I want to share a recent post by one of my FB friends. She wrote, "A flawed diamond is infinitely more valuable than a perfect pebble. How apt as we reflect on the life and times of Whitney Houston! Maybe we could resolve to be more accepting of each other - flaws and all, remembering that we all "have this treasure in jars of clay ...". After all, perfection is a figment of an over-active imagination."
As you look to develop your inner winner, you owe it to your best self to nurture the treasure of a gift you've been given. Nurture your talent in your jar of clay, and honor it so your light will shine.
