As I watched the two-hour special on Whitney Houston, the rise and fall of her career was so quick in terms of a life journey. It was devastating to see her original interviews as a joyful, light-filled singer who knew her calling -- to the "crack is whack" interview where her speaking voice is gone and she's clearly not herelf.
What pained me was hearing the description of "managing" her. One of the biggest worries of her managers and handlers, according to the interview was that she would take a bath and fall asleep. Consequently, handlers gave her only seven minutes of privacy and encouraged her to take showers.
On the night she passed away, she was left alone for an hour. Her daughter was at the mall, her handlers didn't check on her. What grieves me the most is how her daughter Bobbi-Kristina probably feels devastating that she wasn't there to save her mother. She may even feel ill-placed responsibility. Whitney was, after all, the mother.
Everyone knows someone like this. They don't have to be a movie/pop star. Everyone has seen a person who relinquishes control of their lives and "needs" others to take care of everyday responsibilities. When the truth is, no one can feel responsible for another in this way. It's too much. It doesn't stop it from happening however and it's painful for everyone involved.
I just pray that her daughter knows it wasn't her job to be there. That her mother being an addict was a sad fact of life, but not her job. That's an everyday occurrence for some people though and while you may know you're not technically responsible, emotionally is another matter. Check out Intervention and Hoarders if you don't believe me. Children change places with their parents all the time, but this is the worst possible ending to that kind of relationship.
