Current Events | Khadijah Chapman

Whitney Houston Dies At Age 48

Sunday, 19. February 2012

Whitney We Love You

Whitney Houston dies at age 48. This was the exact age my father was when I lost him to drugs. And it was almost to the same date; my father died on or around February 5, 1992.

I feel Bobbi Khristina’s pain because I know what it’s like to lose a parent to drugs. And the question becomes, could I have done something? We know it’s not our fault, but still we wonder, is there something I could have done?

He was “that person” that always said no to drugs. So no one saw it coming. Growing up my mother did drugs, and everyone around him also did drugs and he always said no, until he was around 35 years old and unfortunately when he tried crack-cocaine it eventually became the death of him 13 years later.

My father committed suicide and the day before he choose death… he came into my room and said to me that he was tired of being a slave to cocaine – he left that afternoon before I could finish our conversation about the words he had just uttered to me; and those would be the last words he ever spoke to me. And during a drug binge, he hung himself. The irony in his death for me was the way he chose to take his life. My father was an exceptional man and an awesome provider for me and my sister, and is still very much missed and the pain has never lessoned.

My fathers home going celebration was with a packed house and a much music filled ceremony with the likes of the Winans’ and other well known singers and musicians singing live and of course some recorded.

The only thing that helped to ease my pain of losing my father was the fact that the coroner said that when he choose death, he had so many drugs in him, he probably had no ‘real’ idea of what he was doing. And now this meant that my dad was no longer a slave to anything and his soul had been set free.

Today my heart is heavy with sorrow and so much missed opportunity for Whitney and all that she will miss, especially as a mother. However this is a very powerful and relevant lesson for her daughter Bobbi Kristina to learn and hopefully she gets the impact of the lesson which is that no matter who you are, the laws still apply.

If she gets this lesson, she will be fine in life, because there are no short cuts in life. You don’t get to take the ‘happy pill’ and check out or run from your issues. Face them and deal with life with a clear head and you have a greater chance of real success and happiness.

Whitney Houston seemed to be woman of grace and poise and was on her way to a real comeback. However there is much speculation that she just wouldn’t let the alcohol and drugs go and no one needs to give us a toxicology report, we all know why Whitney died now we are simply waiting on the specific cocktail or mixture of drugs that she took that ultimately took her life.

Many people attempt to blame her former husband Bobby Brown for her choices; however the relevant facts here are that she had the right to choose. She was not an abused or forced woman, nor was she uneducated to the outcome of her choices. Growing up in the Hollywood lifestyle, everyone knows what’s possible when you do drugs and alcohol. We have countless ‘stars’ whose lights have been put out early due to reckless behavior. Elvis, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Anna Nicole Smith, etc.,

It is my prayer that Whitney’s death saves a life somewhere, and that someone somewhere gets the message that if you do drugs and or alcohol –you are playing Russian roulette with your life.

The only regret I have about my father’s drugs use is that while he was going in and out of drug rehab, I did not participate with him, I didn’t go to any of the sessions. I was a lot younger then and had no real knowledge of what it meant to be addicted to a substance and just how deep that pain is and or why some chose that route. If I could offer any advice to anyone about that journey, it would be to be supportive if the chance presents itself.

I was given my father’s journal that he had wrote in while in treatment and that journey of his thoughts led me down a path into his life that showed me a glimpse of the type of pain that my father was in. He had a few demons that he needed to deal with, and apparently these demons had been simmering since childhood – and using drugs was one way he had attempted to silence them.

As adults we get to make decisions about our life, and if you have someone that you care about who is going through re-hab – they have made the choice to start the journey to recovery and they will need support, so if you can, give them as much support as you can.

Whitney, I will always love you, as will countless others and you will forever be missed but never forgotten, fortunately for you, you did live your dreams and created a life filled with much success and happiness, unfortunately you left us to soon, however … Whitney now you are free and not a slave to anything anymore and forever loved and thank you so much for sharing your God given talent with the world!