Let this be a lesson to you......

This morning I awoke to the news of Cory Montieth’s untimely death at the young age of 31. For those who may not know who Monteith was, he portrayed the character Finn Hudson on the hit TV show, GLEE. Montieth’s character Finn was a high school football player who puts his status and popularity at risk to join the very unpopular glee club and its outcast members. Finn Hudson won the hearts of  many Gleeks, who will be deeply saddened at the news of Monteith’s passing.

Unfortunately, the tragic stories of child stars that were unable to transition into adulthood has proven to be nothing new in entertainment and Hollywood. As long as Hollywood has existed, many young stars have gotten caught up in the celebrity lifestyle and ultimately had their careers cut short, leaving behind devastated fans around the globe. Many of their journeys were punctuated by drug and alcohol addiction or they were unable to properly handle the pressures of fame and, for one reason or another, lost the battle. Monteith’s story is nothing new, but sad none the less, even if it is not a case of drugs causing his death.

As I sat this morning with my daughter and her friend, I uttered my sadness at the news. I had been a Gleek. I enjoyed the series Glee immensely, although I have not been as avid a Glee watcher since the original cast graduated from high school and went their own ways. Regardless of not watching the most recent season, Finn Hudson was my favorite of the characters, goofy yet sporty, outcast yet popular, he tugged at my heart strings with his on again, off again relationship with Rachel Berry (played by Lea Michele). My daughter asked if I heard why he had died. My response….”Let this be a lesson…..DRUGS KILL”.

With those words, it simply amazes me at the number of people who still remain addicted to illegal substances. I am proud to say that I never tried anything of the sort. This girl has been completely drug-free; partly because I was always afraid of it going bad fast and partly because it really never appealed to me in the first place. I never understood why people needed a substance to put them in a good mood. I prefer to live on a natural high! Enjoying the life I am living without the need for substances that alter my mind.

In my 40 years of life, many stars passed away far too young, some due to physical issues, some due to environmental issues, while many others due to drug related issues. Heath Ledger (overdoes),  River Phoenix (heart failure),  Dana Plato (overdose), Corey Haim (overdose), Chris Kelly (overdose), Heather O’Rourke (toxic septis due to bowel obstruction),  John F Kennedy Jr (plane crash), Aaliyah (plane crash), Chris Farley (overdose), Kurt Cobain (suicide), Michael Jackson (overdose), Anna Nicole Smith (overdose), Princess Diana (car accident) and the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, since the dawning of the entertainment industry, whether it be film or music, the list of young, promising stars whose lives and careers were cut short is not a short list either. Marilyn Monroe (overdose), James Dean (car accident), Jimi Hendrix (overdose), Janis Joplin (overdose), Buddy Holly (plane crash), Stevie Ray Vaughan (helicopter crash), John Lennon (murdered),  Mama Cass (heart failure), Andy Kaufman (lung cancer), Elvis Presley (heart attack?),  Natalie Wood (drowned),  and there are so many more to add to the list.

From Cory Monteith, Michael Jackson, and Heath Ledger's more recent untimely deaths to Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly and James Dean, young celebrity deaths are tragic at any age and for any reason. Today, I am thankful that I have been given another day to live and breathe, to love and be loved, to enjoy life to its absolute fullest. The death of Cory Monteith has, once again, reminded me just how short life can be.