NOW YOU CAN REST
By Doris AC Johnson MA. PSY
By Doris AC Johnson MA. PSY
This week I am speaking from a somber place. Within the last week, the music industry lost two legends in the game. I have been heartbroken for many years watching DMX struggle with his inner demons. I understood. I believe that every time his tongue and teeth parted; he was crying for help. Although his ability to express himself was captivating, and his stance was profound, I felt that he was trapped inside of himself. No windows…just walls. Did DMX walk a spiritual tightrope? I can’t honestly say. So much suffering in his youth spiraled him into a cave that he couldn’t escape. While he pedaled through trying to discover mental freedom, he blessed the culture with a cadence undefined in its genius and lyricism that set the music industry on fire! The many performances and interviews painted the picture of the man he was, and the trail that he followed leading to the impact he had on so many people.
I’m proud to have lived and celebrated in the reign of his era. He was unapologetic.
He was well received, and one I would consider to be the epitome of my mantra…I SAID WHAT I SAID.
In honor of Black Rob and DMX, I tip my hat towards them for their tremendous contribution to real rap.
Your purpose has been realized. The mental anguish is now relieved. The pain is gone. The you that you poured out to us will not diminish in time. Travel to your destination knowing that you touched so many of us with your stories, your commentaries, your music and your presence. And now you can rest.
Let me offer you all some NourishMeant for supper. We have a birthdate assigned to us before we are born, and our parents and loved ones anticipate our arrival as the estimated date draws near. And then there is that other time that nothing can prepare us for…. darkness. We don’t know when it’s coming. We don’t know when the sun will go down. We can’t live emotionally reckless because we mistake the moments for promises. My dad died under circumstances that prevented him from being coherent so I couldn’t say a proper goodbye. He was in a coma for six months. And now 22 years later, I carry that with me. Nothing is certain, so we all must act accordingly. If you love him or her…say it. Act on it. Make your communications while you can.
I don’t want the only flowers that you give me to be the ones hovering over the roof of my casket. I don’t want the only tears you shed for me to be of despair, regret, and sorrow. I don’t want the words to go unsaid…whatever they may be. When I am resting, I hope you will be at peace with our relationship. I want to be at peace because I have said how I feel and done what I felt I should. Even if I don’t find great success or become rich…I want my obituary to be outlined on the basis that I gave…that I received, and that I lived well. Let me leave you with this. “Treat me like I won’t be here tomorrow.
