There was no performer I admired more than MJ. In fact, I was offended when anyone spoke a negative word about him. I even ended a relationship with a guy who spoke poorly about Jackson after I had shared with him how much I loved MJ.
I never considered that he wouldn’t be with us forever, because growing up I thought Jackson was immortal and would always be here to share his talent with the world.
On June 25, 2009, at 4:23 pm, my mother called me and asked me to sit down. She never asked me to sit down over the phone before, so immediately fear took over and my heart rate began to speed up. She said that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital that afternoon because his heart stopped and it wasn’t looking good.
Terrified, I turned on CNN, praying she wasn’t correct. I was actually relieved because they were still showing that Jackson had been hospitalized. My eyes stayed glued to the television and 10 minutes later the words at the bottom of the channel changed from MICHAEL JACKSON HOSPITALIZED to MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD. I will never forget that moment because I passed out on the floor and woke up crying.
My husband, who was my fiancé at the time, found me on the floor, picked me up and carried me to bed. He didn’t talk to me or share words of encouragement; he was simply there for me at my lowest moment. As I cried myself to sleep that night, he held me tightly. And when I woke up in the middle of the night to ask if Jackson’s death was all a dream, he shook his head with compassion in his eyes and held me tighter as I began to cry all over again.
That day, Michael Jackson, the greatest performer to ever live, died, but within my heart, true love gave birth. I knew that I loved my fiancé and wanted to marry him, but it wasn’t until that day that I was sure that I had made the right decision.
On June 25, as we remember an icon who shared his life and God-given talent with the world, I’ll reminisce about how his untimely death taught me what unconditional love felt like and that I never wanted to spend a day without it again. –shay williams-garrett
Shay Williams-Garrett aka Shay Your Date Diva is a speaker and author of “DIVA Don’t Get Played!” and “Mommy DIVA Don’t Get Played!” both dating guides for catching the man of your dreams in 30 days!
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