First Love

The picture above is my very first album. It contains the image of the first singer I ever loved, the first music I ever knew, and some of the best dancing of my life. When I was three, I fell madly in love with Michael Jackson. I was convinced that I would marry him. I had the Thriller album cover on a key chain and I used to rub my finger over it all the time. I was trying to will him out of the plastic and into my life.

One of my proudest moments was introducing this album to my son and having him immediately love it too. Even at three, he knew it had the best songs of any record I had ever played. There is not one song that isn't perfect in its own way. My kids and I still listen to Thriller every week. We watch videos of it on YouTube. Dancing with them to that album brings back my own childhood and I'm grateful I can share it with them.

My heart broke yesterday when I heard the news of Michael Jackson's passing. I did not want to believe it. I'm generally not overly sentimental about celebrities, but this is an icon that gave me an appreciation of great music and a joy for movement. My son is old enough now to understand death and he said quite succinctly "He really is a zombie now. Huh, Mommy?"

At night, the kids and I watched videos on MTV and just enjoyed the music. They danced, I tried to cry quietly. I will mourn for this musical legend taken too soon, but whether he is a spirit or zombie, his legacy still lives on in a generation that I created. My kids and I will still continue to put that record on and dance. I think it would be the greatest thanks I could ever give to him.