Kevin Costner’s Loving Speech at Whitney Houston’s Funeral

I sent love to a friend inspired by Whitney Houston’s song ‘I will always love you’. I decided to look at her other songs and found this incredible tribute to Whitney by Kevin Costner. What a sweet and wonderful man he is. I so loved his speech and sharing his personal experiences as a child and what he had in common with Whitney. People may remember Whitney played the great singer Rachel Merin in the movie the Bodyguard.

Kevin expressed that Whitney suffered self doubt and wondered if she was good enough. So many people would find that surprising thinking how could she have any doubt given she was so beautiful and talented? She is human and like most people, she didn’t feel good enough.

Where does this sentiment come from in our society? In my view it comes from judgements, disapproval, exclusion and neglect. Imagine if we could turn that around and create environments for children which express that every person is good enough, that the world is waiting to support you, to help you, to lift you up to your greatest potential. These days we crafted a world where people compete, put down, become jealous or hard. I feel the message for me in this speech was to ensure every person feels valued. I’ve always tried to generate that in my own life by being a clown. When I am in the public I hug everyone and when at gatherings I notice the lonely child or look beyond the mask someone is showing me. I don’t go for the superficial look and simply seek to shine above others, but to really feel the beauty of others which is never how they look. I often wonder if people were able to suspend judgement of people and look into the eyes of each other and really notice what is beautiful. I’ve always seen it as within the human being, as a clown I see it in the smile. There is nothing more beautiful to me than smiling and laughing. I would imagine in the professional world of acting and singing there is so much intense pressure to remain on top, to not lose your looks (particularly for women), to give your all, to feel a success. Yet to get up every morning is the real success in life, to reach out to someone in pain is success, to help those who feel not good enough look into the mirror and see the gift they are to this world. That to me is the real success in life. I felt deeply inspired by Whitney Houston as you can see the emotion she brought to the songs she sang with such heartfelt harmony. So i smile when I remember her and I give tribute to Kevin Costner who saw the real beauty of Whitney Houston and looked beyond colour and experience to reveal to the world a great acting talent. Very beautiful.

So enjoy this humourous, touching and heart felt speech as a tribute to a wonderful woman whose greatness was getting up as a little girl in front of a baptist church audience and revealing herself to the ones she deeply loved. That love was then turned towards the world and brought endless emotional release for those who wish to express love but just can’t find the words or they feel deep vulnerability. I would suggest express yourself, reveal your true beauty, allow the world to see your love and vulnerability. There is nothing greater than truth in love. For those who have never known this grace, I would encourage you to unblock your heart and have the courage to wear your love on your sleeve and sing your true song. The world is waiting to love you.

Enjoy.