Whitney Houston left us all long before last week. That's how it is with drug abuse. I realize this is a serious topic and has nothing to do with my kids. But every time I see things about her death in the news I have so many thoughts going through my head.
My step-sister Robyn died 4 1/2 years ago of a drug overdose. She was 31. What a waste. As it is with Whitney Houston. But the truth is, when Robyn died, it was not much of a shock, and for 6 years she had become so unreliable that it was like she left the day she started doing one of the more serious and addicting drugs. The real Robyn would show up sometimes and other times it was some other Robyn. And either way often there was no Robyn showing up at all. Robyn hadn't truly been with us for years. Her death was just more final. Isn't it the same with Whitney Houston? We haven't seen much of her since the Bodyguard. And when we have, it's not the Whitney we all knew and loved.
I have mixed feelings about the coverage of her. I do believe like most everyone that she had a beautiful soul. It's true she was the girl next door, at first. And for a long time. But it has also been a long time now that that girl has been gone. While I don't think we need to degrade her in her death, I really think the media should talk more about what has plagued the more recent years of her life, after all, it was her ultimate downfall both in her career and in ending her life. It is sad.
I'll admit drug abuse is one thing I just really don't get. Robyn is the second person in my life I've seen ruin their life over drug addiction. My other friends mistakes will bear consequences the rest of her life from bad decisions in her youth.
But the real question is, how do people get to this point? How did someone SO grounded in faith as Whitney Houston become a drug addict? There are many reasons why someone goes down that road. To fit in (why anyone would want to fit in with people who do drugs is beyond my understanding, but I guess people want acceptance sometimes no matter where it comes from). To cope (which is really not coping at all - it's the opposite of coping). That is a big one and one that I think bears greater consequences. We have to teach our children to cope. We have to teach them faith in Christ, because again that is the ultimate greatest source of hope, which leads us to making good decisions for ourselves. We have to teach them how to deal with stress and life's disappointments. And we can't take all those hard things away from them while they are young, because then they really won't be able to handle the big things. We have to communicate often with our children about how the world works, about trials and faith, about our purpose, and what's important about the challenges we face. We have to lead our lives by example and also handle our own problems in a mature and faithful way. That all being said, there is no certainty that our children will make all the right choices.
It just saddens me to see so many lives full of promise thrown away for nothing but an addicting habit. TCU this week had a big drug bust on campus and again, quite a few lives ruined. Why is society so okay with illegal drug use? Sure it's illegal. But so many prominent adults even joke and laugh about some of the very serious things they used to do when they were younger. Those that experimented with drugs but never got caught up in it and grew up should consider themselves lucky. There are many who go one-step too far and that step is usually off a cliff.
Sad. I'm not really even interested much in watching the stuff about Whitney Houston. It's just a shame.
Yes you are so right and I couldn't agree with you more. My son is a drug addict and only 19 yrs old. That is the stuff that has been going on that I can't write about on my blog. Too many family members read it and they don't know. He comes home sometimes to visit with my younger ones but never stays long. He doesn't come under the influence, thank God. We did all we could for him and now that he is an adult we can't make him get help or go into rehab. I feel helpless most days and my heart aches for him and fir his 6 yr old sister, they used to be sooo close and now they don't see eachother much and when he says he is coming and then doesn't show up she doesn't get upset anymore, like she doesn't care he flakes, again. So yes my son is wasting his life and I can't fix him.
ReplyDeleteI think there is not one single family or group of people not impacted by some form of addiction. My family experienced their fair share of family members with issues. My opinions is there are not much you can do for people who don't want to change themselves. You can provide them all the support and sympathy, care, empathy in the world, but ultimately they have to make the decision to change their lives themselves.
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