"Will You Be There" became one of my favorite MJ songs about two years ago. I play it almost every day, not so much for entertainment, but because it helps keep my heart in line with serious commitments I've made in my life- many which go beyond being a fan of his. I listen carefully to every word. I hear the message that was in his heart and I know he carried burdens that many of us could not see.

I would never say that I can fully comprehend his struggle(s) and I don't fully understand the message of the song, but in my heart, I always say, "Yes". Michael Jackson is precious and I will always be there---to love him unconditionally, to be among the voices that defend him, to do what I can to help protect and carry on his legacy, and, more importantly, to care about the things he cared about.

I've never seen the movie, but I've known that it is about a captive whale being released back into the ocean. When I listen to the song, I usually watch one of the live performancesm, but someone posted this video from the movie soundtrack earlier on JE.

While playing it, I casually glanced at the picture of the whale. About half-way through the song, the image pierced my heart and I unexpectedly felt a much deeper connection with the message than I have ever felt before. Keep in mind that I already have a fairly strong emotional response to the song! To put it plainly, I felt like Michael was the whale and somehow, for just a moment, I think I felt the grief that he might have experienced in some way---a deep desire to be set free and just be able to swim in and explore the ocean!

Maybe everyone else has already noticed this connection or maybe I'm wrong- I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can say, empathetically, this was one of the most heart-wrenching and heartbreaking emotional experiences I've ever had. I really believe that he knew that times would come when we would need him...and many times, he was willing to overcome his own pain and sorrows to bring joy and encouragement to our lives.

Michael spent most of his life "entertaining" and he blessed the entire world as "The Greatest Entertainer of All Time", with his humanitarian work, and even by setting an example for others by being a good father to his children.

From what I have heard, even other celebrities cannot really relate to the level of fame that Michael Jackson achieved and experienced- there was a high price that he had to pay for being so famous...I will just close by saying that I really do hope he found the freedom that he was longing for.

If you listen to this video, please make a special attempt to not listen to the entertainer- just listen to the man.