Anniversary - A Year of L.O.V.E

When Michael Jackson passed, the feeling of loss and grief was quite overwhelming. I somewhat felt alone in my mourning of MJ; coming a small conservative, reserved town in Virginia, I wasn't sure if anyone truly understood what this lost meant to me:

This was the loss of innocence; I always felt like a young teen singing to my "BAD" poster when I listened to MJ, like I'm frozen in time. When our personal "Peter Pan" ascended to heaven, I had to slowly come to the realization this was the end of an era.

My life changed when I met a certain group of ladies - starting with @doublebeee and @Kiki_MJFan4life, I started to share my personal thoughts of MJ, his music, his style, his buckles...

Then I had interaction with @mike1909, @angelzaroundus, and @ichliebemjj, reflecting on MJ's kindness and gentle spirit. 

Finally, I met @Cassarah_ and @Gimevacarezza discussed the charitable work of MJ and the rest was HIStory.

All the elements fore mentioned were a part of a blog, "It's All For Love", I didn't consider myself as a "blogger", but with MJ as the canvass, it was easy to get on board! The blog started discussing children's issues, as we know this was something very close to MJ's.

As the webteam team grew, it became a place of remembrance of MJ's life, career, charity, style, music, and of course, his heart.

Learning more about MJ's suffering has made me aware of my footprint on this planet, meeting the members of the webteam has encouraged me to look deep within myself and try to "make that change".

I'm very happy to be a part of this international sisterhood. I've always said we all have a purpose on this planet; MJ's purpose was to bring us together, for that I'm grateful.

We'll always love you more.

@sohappi

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"We all have to give and we all have to do what we can to help end the needless suffering in the world."

Michael Jackson & Friends

The Adventure of Humanity" Announcement

March 23, 1999

[...] children have certain inalienable rights, and the gradual erosion of those rights has led to scores of children worldwide being denied the joys and security of childhood. I would therefore like to propose tonight that we instal in every home a Children's Universal Bill of Rights, the tenets of which are:

• The right to be loved, without having to earn it

• The right to be protected, without having to deserve it

• The right to feel valuable, even if you came into the world with nothing

• The right to be listened to without having to be interesting

• The right to be read a bedtime story without having to compete with the evening news or EastEnders

• The right to an education without having to dodge bullets at schools

• The right to be thought of as adorable (even if you have a face that only a mother could love).Friends, the foundation of all human knowledge, the beginning of human consciousness, must be that each and every one of us is an object of love. Before you know if you have red hair or brown, before you know if you are black or white, before you know of what religion you are a part, you have to know that you are loved.

 

Michael Jackson
Oxford Union Speech, March 6, 2001

Michael Jackson's music has accompanied me through my life. I have always loved his music and his magical performances. But even more than being a fan of the artist I have been a follower of the man, as a supporter of general welfare and tolerance for people of all colors, races, characters and social statuses, and as active ambassador for children worldwide and their rights.

It is Michael's spirit that brought our webteam together. In november 2009 we started with this blog, which is of course MJ-related. To us this means: never getting tired of caring about whatever is going on in the world.

To run this blog was not really a decision, it was more like something made me starting it. There were more reasons speaking against it - not just my rather limited skills in english. My head said NO - but my heart said YES. Today I call myself being very, very fortunate to have met my sisters, living on 4 continents in 5 countries. Words fail me to express -and this is no matter of language skills- how grateful I am and how much your love and support adds to my life.

Thank you, Ladies, for all the smiles you brought to my face 

and the tears you brought to my eyes. 

I love you.

@Cassarah

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"There are two kinds of music. 

One comes from the strings of a guitar, 
the other from the strings of the heart. 

One sound comes from a chamber orchestra, 
the other from the beating of the heart's chamber. 

One comes from an instrument of graphite and wood, 
the other from an organ of flesh and blood.
This loftier music I speak of tonight is more pleasing than the notes of the most gifted composers, more moving than a marching band, more harmonious than a thousand voices joined in hymn and more powerful than all the world's percussion instruments combined. 

That ... sweet and sound of love."

Michael Jackson (Carnagie Hall speech)

I was slow in accepting @Cassarah's invitation to team up to build this blog. I don't know to this day how she went past my lame excuses for not saying yes. Truth is it was just too hard for me to deal with my emotions.
Trying to write this the words "labor of love" came to my mind - but they would not apply here because being part of the blog required no effort, on the contrary it's been a source of energy and healing.
It's wonderful to have this place to share my thoughts and most of all I'm proud to be part of this project aimed at raising awareness about children and other social issues.
I have no doubt that the love we share is changing the world for the better.

Beyond this i hope you know how grateful I am to have you sisters.


Much love

@mike1909

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Words fail me when it comes to my feelings for our blog and the blog team. I can't even begin.

Let me try to put this straight and simple.

I love Michael Jackson, and I feel him loving me back through this sisterhood. We have gathered together because of him. We share our grief of losing him, the pain that is never going to cease, and in the process we help each other to learn and grow in so many levels. By the blog itself, we are a miniature world with teammates from different parts of the world, and we are tightly interconnected, 

while at the same time open to the whole world. 

It's a miracle.
Loving Michael in his death gives me pain, but he rewarded me with much, much more love. 

This blog is a manifestation of this love.

Sisters, you are all gifts from him to me. Thank you for being here, and I love you more.

@ichliebemjj

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I decided to pull a quote from a review that I did of "This Is It," it feels like a fitting metaphor on how we formed this partnership in the first place.

"Michael had the generosity and heart to elevate those around him. Even when the musicians made errors, he would remind them “This is why we have rehearsal.” When he gave direction and sensed the slightest hesitation from his band or crew, he’d give his direction, punctuated with “God Bless You,” “I Love You” or “Its all for L.O.V.E.”

Michael's presence is everywhere, and he reminds us all the time that everything we do should be in the name of L.O.V.E., but even when it isn't, as human beings, we have the opportunity,and the free will to make it right again.

Love you ladies and MJ Forever,

@AA 

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I've been a fan of Michael's since I was 2 years old, when i think to some of my earliest memories his name appears in all of them. Michael Jackson gave me confidence when I needed it,strength when I needed it....when he died I felt like a part of myself died too. I couldn't put into words how I felt & when I did try it seemed as though people around me didn't get it. I felt lost like no one understood it was then I started meeting the girls that would change my life. I remember talking with @sohappi & @angelzaroundus first & I remember finally feeling like someone got me & someone understood I met the rest of the wonderful sisterhood after that & soon after joined the blog team. I can't believe it's the anniversary of our little blog but at the same time I think to myself, it's only been a year? I say that because it feels like I've known these beautiful girls for so much longer. I don't know what I would do without them, I can't even remember my life without them in it. This blog for me has been kind of a rebirth of the part of me i thought I lost when MJ passed. I feel blessed to be a part of this blog & even more to be part of an amazing sisterhood of ladies that have changed my life forever :)

@Kiki_MJFan4life

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"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe"

Michael Jackson (Oxford Union Speech, 2001)

Words fail me when I tried to talk about what the blog means to me and what Michael Jackson means to me. I guess the best thing to write about both is by writing about one at a time. I'll start with the meaning of Michael Jackson in my life and his impact on it.

Since I was a child Michael Jackson was a very important part of my life. I remember to see thriller with my brother for the first time and I was so scared but his voice and the rhythm I couldn't stop watching it!. I started to listen to him at the age of 4 and at that age I wasn't into all the philanthropy thing but as I was growing up I was learning more and more from and about him. He taught me about music of course, about respect, about love, about care, about how much doing charitable works and helping people in need can make you feel better but the most important lesson I learned from him was to speak up for those who can't, for what it's right, for uncover the lies and for many more reasons.

Through Michael Jackson I knew a new world full of magic and love.

When he died I was and still am overwhelmed with sadness and pain, I cried so much and I thought nobody would understand me or feel the same sadness but one day I met a wonderful lady @doublebeee who showed me a blog post, after I read the blog I was amazed of how the blog represented Michael's spirit, I automatically knew I wanted to be a part of that act of  L.O.V.E so I asked to @doublebeee If I could and when she said she talked to the girls and they all agreed. I met an amazing group of ladies who shared my beliefs and most important the love I feel for Michael and the will to change the world and continue to his legacy. This girls teach me so much everyday and they make me feel so loved that I can't say nothing but Thank you. Thank you for letting me be a part of the blog, for teaching me something new everyday, for being there for me when I need it and lots of other things. Through you and Michael I'm a better person. 

Thank you again sisters!.

I feel lucky to have you.

L.O.V.E.

@GimeVacarezza

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"Can it be I stayed away too long? Did I leave your mind while I was gone?"

Michael Jackson - I Wanna Be Where You Are

June 25, 2009 marked a night for me that was changing me in so many ways. I don't even wanna go back there to this night of shock I spent in front of the TV seeing what I never thought I would see... and I never knew what it would do to me.

The weeks that followed I spent reminiscing about what Michael meant to me and to my life over the many years he's in my life. A million memories returned and my grief was just unbearable. I felt lonely and confused and didn't really believe anyone else would feel or even understand what he meant to me. I hardly even recognized myself.

Just out of curiosity and despair I joined Twitter because CNN was reporting that fans all over the world were discussing Michael and his meaning there. 

That was the start of something I never expected or thought would be possible... I met some amazing people there who clearly felt the same about Michael and wouldn't judge my feelings.

I now call them my sisters! We're what I think represents Michael's dream he never stopped repeating: An international family of L.O.V.E. joined in the purpose of spreading the love, holding on to Michael's legacy and grow on each other in many different ways.

When mike1909 and Cassarah started the "It's All For L.O.V.E." blog, I was happy to join and have another outlet to read and spread Michael's message and to be a counterpart of what mass media tried to do to Michael over all those years. 

Now it's our turn to "make that change"!!! And we do. It's great to see how it works and how we are able to reach people all over the world. With love, not controversy.

Thank you my sweet sisters for letting me being a part of you and this amazing journey. I love you! 

"I know that keepin' the faith means never givin' up on love. But the power that love has to make it right, makes it, makes it right..."

Michael Jackson - Keep The Faith

@doublebeee