Michael Jackson and Delilah

While I am and always have been a huge Michael Jackson fan I was saddened (not surprised) over his passing. I have DVR'd (is that a word) tons of biographies and interviews in the last few weeks so it was no surprise to Chet when he came home one night and the girls and I were hunkered down watching the 2 hr and 40 min memorial. I decided that it would be fine for the girls to watch with me for a few reasons. 1. I knew it would be well done and tasteful so there would not be anything I didn't want them to see. 2. They are old enough to understand that he passed away. 3. I have used Michael Jackson's life to open the discussion of drug abuse for Rebekah and watching his funeral really drives the message that drugs will kill you home. 4. I think this will be one of those things when we are our parents age when we say "I was fill in the blank when I found out the he had passed." Of course even with all this thought and running it by Chet first nothing ever goes to plan. Those who know me know that I am not an incredibly sensitive person and it takes a lot to upset me beyond being consolable (yes I did get tear-eyed during the memorial but really who didn't) and we joke in our house that Rebekah is just like her mom, Cold-hearted. What I did not take into account, me not being sensitive and all, is just how sensitive Delilah is. She sat and watched all 2 hrs and 40 mins. She asked questions about the performers, Michael Jackson, and his kids. At no point did she get upset, just curious. The memorial ends and we say good night, I send them off to bed, turn and walk away and then it happened. I hear this heartbroken cry, not a sob but a true cry. I run back to the kids bedroom thinking someone was hurt and I could not even believe what I found. Delilah, did I mention how sensitive she is, is balling her eyes out. I ask her what is wrong. Her response "I will never get to see him again?" What? I ask her who she is talking about. "Michael Jackskon (that is how she says it)" Seriously? Delilah cried for 2 hours straight over Michael Jackson, she wrote him a letter, she asks questions about him, she asked for a cd, she knows all of his popular songs, she listens to them everyday. She is a Michael Jackson nut. I learned a very valuable lesson that even though I think something may not bother her I need to try to think like her and not my cold-hearted self because chances are she will be upset. While I have protected her from all the negative topics surronding Michael Jackson he did have so many postive qualities that I would want my kids to take from him, like his wanting to make the world better, giving to countless charities, breaking racial barriers, his values on family. So that is my bad mom story for the week and chances are if you come over to our house you will hear my sweet 6 year old rocking out to Michael Jackson for a long time to come.