February 26, 2022
Last Sunday, Nightbirde lost her battle with cancer. If you don’t follow such things, she was a “Golden Buzzer” winner on America’s Got Talent, with her performance of her original song, “It’s OK.” It wasn’t only her song; her story is what captured the hearts of millions. Even as she sang, her body was wracked with tumors in her lungs, spine, and liver.
It was her spirit that touched us. Constantly smiling, she told us that the doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival for more than six months. “But two percent isn’t zero percent,” she said with a smile. She wrote about her prayers—“I’m the downstairs neighbor banging on the ceiling with a broomstick”—and her rugged and often ragged faith. 31 is too young to die, especially for one so determined to live.
My favorite quote from Nightbirde: “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.” The radiance of her smile, her determination, and faith through all her struggles puts many of us to shame. She insisted on believing that life and God are good, even when life is hard and God is unintelligible. In these dangerous and deadly days when all the news is bad news, her words and her perspective are needed more than ever. In the worst of circumstances, we have choices to make about our attitude. Choosing joy can bring us through the darkest of valleys. Don’t wait to decide to be happy.
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