The Greatest Love of All

I was 13, and completely knew it all. I had my whole life ahead of me but all I was concerned about was starting the summer by going to Hawaii with my family and spending the rest of the summer at the beach and pool with my best friend. I'd worry about High School later.

I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind them how it used to be.

Seriously? Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston as an 8th grade graduation song? Who chose that song anyway? Greatest love of all? What does that have anything at all to do with graduation?

Children's laughter? We are NOT children, we are so going to be in High School. HIGH SCHOOL, that means we are far from being children!

Everybody searching for a hero, people need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A Lonely place to be, so I learned to depend on me.

Oh because that sounds perfect for a graduation song, don't have friends, don't depend on anyone else because everyone is going to let you down. That's great. Just perfect, send us off into the world of high school and tell us not to depend on the people most important to us, Hello...our friends!

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadow, If I fail, If I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe, No matter what they take from me,
they can't take away my dignity.

Ok really? Who is taking anything from me? They are GIVING me a diploma to move on into high school, and my dignity has nothing to do with it.

The greatest Love of all, is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all inside of me
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all.

And then, it clicked! This was the perfect 8th grade graduation song! The next 4 years would be spent learning who I am, what I want and catching a glimpse of what happens next.

And by standing tall, being proud of who I am, where I come from, standing behind what I believe, and standing up for those that can't stand up for themselves.

THAT Is the greatest Love of All.

So Thanks Whitney, for being a part of my generation, for being a part of my milestone in Life.
I never again questioned why we used that song. And I know it by heart, I've sang it a million times. We were children, and I do remember that laughter!

Whitney, I hope you find the Greatest Love of All as you rest in peace.

1963 - 2012