2017 Can’t Come Soon Enough, Right?
At least that’s what everyone is saying on Facebook, I see. An unprecedented number of celebrity deaths this past year has yielded an overwhelming number of friends on our feeds to declare 2016 a complete disaster.
David Bowie kicked things off in January, with George Michael and Carrie Fisher wrapping up 2016 in the past few days. We’ve seen icons like Prince, Glenn Frey, Gene Wilder, Florence Henderson, Christina Grimmie and Alan Thicke succumb to heart attacks, suicides, cancer, murder and drug overdoses. And the scary part is that we’ve got a few more days left of this banner year.
So what exactly does everyone think will happen at 12:00am January 1st, 2017? How will the turn of the clock change things? Do we really think that less celebrities will die, or are we just holding on to hope that life will get better somehow?
Believe me, I too am saddened by those we have lost this year. So many of them shaped my childhood, my teen years, and continue to inspire me, but am I shocked?
No.
Maybe it’s because my husband died from brain cancer at 37, or friends f mine had a daughter die from the same at just 11 years old. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen too many of my close friends lose sons and daughters, brothers and sisters suddenly and expectantly, well before the age of any of these celebrity icons.
Oh I do know how it feels to turn the page so don’t get me wrong. My husband died on January 31st, 2010 – the last day of the month. I remember so clearly getting back home from hospice that day and looking at the calendar hanging on the wall, thinking to myself, “Ok, well at least when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll be able to physically turn the page”. It had been a long, painful battle that I knew was coming to an end, and flipping that page to February was somehow cathartic. A new month was beginning – just one day after death.
I suppose that’s how most feel about turning the page this December. That, somehow turning that page will mean new hope for the future. But what I really hope for, is that more have the courage to look back and appreciate all that was and all that was gained for knowing those we’ve lost. Because beyond the pain and sadness is a blessing, and a deep, deep appreciation for those who have made a difference in your life – no matter how long they are with you.
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” – Dr Seuss
Wishing you love, health and happiness in 2017!
Sheila
Camp Erin Parents 
Thank you for this post. We lost our 11 year old daughter to a brain aneurysm November 2015. And these celebrity deaths… these people we didn’t know… While I feel for their families and close friends, I am sadly wise enough to know that we need to focus on the people who make up our actual worlds. It also saddens me that people in our lives seem to think it’s better not to talk about our daughter, although they will talk about their “Princess” for years to come.
I am so sorry for your loss, Sandi. What you wrote is so true and I, too hope that more people start to turn inward toward their families – now more than ever!