I usually don't comment on current events in profile messages or in my blog book. But I just saw a news alert, and I felt that this was a time to make an exception, because of the relevance.

Singer Christina Grimmie has died after being shot at a concert she was a performing at. According to ABC, her brother proceeded to tackle the man who shot her, and the man somehow shot himself dead during the ensuing struggle.

Christina died of her injuries later on, it appears.

She was an alumni of "The Voice" (American Edition, I believe), and was blessed by God with a talent for performance, and a beautiful, strong voice. Her "Counting Stars" duet with Sam Behmar and her audition where she performed "Wrecking Ball" are two performances that I promptly fell in love with and have watched again and again.

What's more, I picked her "Just A Dream" duet with Sam Tsui as the theme song for my novel, "Shattered"—it's featured at the end of the intro chapter—and her parts were my favorite element of that song.

My prayers go out to her, her family, and her friends. Rest in peace, Christina.

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And while I'm writing a message like this, I feel that I should extend those same things to Muhammad Ali and Prince, as well as their friends and family members.

Part of me has actually been wanting to speak about their deaths for a while, because I find the media and public response at times like these so disingenuous. But indeed, precisely because of the public climate, I've felt that I cannot do so—not in this format, anyway. I hope to eventually address some of these topics through my creative writing. Indeed, in a twist of fate, I became inspired to write a poem early Friday, and it's currently in progress, although I haven't decided on the format in which to release it. In the meantime, I think I'll stick with expressing my condolences, as well as my appreciation for these three individuals. It's especially tragic that two of the three would die at such young ages, relatively speaking.

God bless.

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. —Isaiah 57:1-2, KJV

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or* die, we are the Lord's. —Romans 14:8, KJV

And if you die or you are slain, to Allah you are gathered. — Chapter 3, Al-Imran (The Family of Amran), verse 157, Maulana Muhammad Ali translation