Today’s blog post is a very sentimental one, as you can
tell by the title and the photo.
It was ten years ago today that we big farewell to the
legendary Luther Ronzoni Vandross. I remember this day all too well because it
was just one day before my mom’s birthday. I also remember exactly where I was
on that fateful day: My dad took me to the mall so we could find the perfect
birthday card and present for the queen of our family—Momillennium. It seemed
like every store in the mall was playing a Luther song, to the point where my
dad jokingly asked if it was “Luther Day.” Well, we didn’t think any more of
it; we finished out birthday shopping for Mom (It only took two hours), then we
left to get something to eat. As soon as we got in the car, we caught the last
couple minutes of “If This World Were Mine,” and I confirmed with my dad that
it had to have been Luther Day. At the very moment, the man on the radio said
in a very somber tone: “For those of you who haven’t heard, we lost Luther
Vandross this morning. Luther Vandross has passed away at the age of fifty-four
years old.”
My dad actually pulled over and parked the car, just to
take a moment to himself. I was thrown for a loop as well, considering that I
was only eleven years old at the time. Heck, I’ll tell y’all the truth—I wept a
little, because I just couldn’t believe that Luther was gone. I knew that he
had had a serious health challenge in 2003, but last I had heard, he was
getting better, slowly but surely. I guess he never fully recovered, and as my
Gramma Jewel always says: The Lord saw fit to take His child home with Him.”
Ten years later today, and I make it a point to keep
Luther’s legacy alive. I always make sure that I take a moment and stop to
love, because the power of love is the greatest power of them all. And believe
me when I tell y’all: It is never too much to show my family and friends how
much I love them. Let’s put it this way: When they call on me, Baby, that’s
when I’ll go runnin’ to them… and yes, I am still awaiting the day that my
Prince Charming sweeps me off of my feet, but I don’t wanna be a fool—I’m
willing to wait until that right guy comes along. Besides, there’s nothing
better than love, and when someone truly loves you for all of you, that feeling
is just so amazing.
Thanks for the memories, Luther!
Hugs & Kisses,
Natasha
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