Tell Celine Dion, ‘It’s OK’

Life is a struggle not only for the poor but also for the world’s richest.

Our darling Celine Dion dished out her electrifying voice and just by listening to her songs, pains were forgotten; wounds were healed; hope was rekindled; and where there was once sorrow, joy was found. Until this day, most people still shed tears while listening to her song titled ‘Titanic’ which was a theme song for the movie Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

She talked about Immortality in one of her songs. She sang for love and pain but we paid little attention when she said: …I make my journey through eternity. I keep the memory of you and me inside. Fulfill your destiny, Is there within the child, My storm will never end, My fate is on the wind…

Celine is still on her journey to eternity, yes, she has good and bad memories especially the ones that mattered most – late husband and manager Rene Angelil – who she described as “the only boyfriend I’ve ever had”. With fate in the wind and a never-ending storm, only God knows what the future holds for every mortal.

Death:

Two days before his 74th birthday, Rene Angelil lost the battle to throat cancer. He died on January 14, 2016.

Celine was 12 when she first met with this man that later became her manager and husband. At the time of their meeting in 1980, Rene was 32 years old.

The impact Rene made in her life cannot be quantified, Rene stretched himself so much to help her become who she wanted to be in life. This same man sold his house in order to see Celine release her debut album after she signed an agreement that granted Rene total control over her career. It wasn’t a bad risk anyways.

Rene Angelil attended almost every show with her. His death surely left a lasting blow to her life. Memories of this closeness and affection developed from a “working relationship” often made Celine cry since his passing. In one of her performances in Los Angeles, she tearfully told the cheering crown: “He’s always been on stage with me and nothing will ever change that.”

Pregnancy:

The French-Canadian singer had it rough trying to conceive through out her marriage. After many failures, the couple turned to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments and was very close to success in 2009 when the worst happened. She had a miscarriage.

Shortly after that, she met with Oprah Winfrey and said: “It’s life. A lot of people go through this. We tried four times to have a child. We’re still trying.” Her positivism is beyond measure and this has helped her a lot.

In a twist of fate, Celine Dion announced in May 2010 that she was 14 weeks pregnant with twins – Nelson and Eddy Angelil – born on October 23, 2010 through Caesarean section.

There first son, Rene-Charles Angelil was born on January 25, 2001.

Illness: Celine Dion had a major setback in her career when in February 2010 she was diagnosed of a virus that caused weakness in her right vocal cord. She had to cancel over 10 performances in Las Vegas. That was a record financial loss. About 6-8 weeks of non-vocal rest was required for her to heal properly before she commenced work.

Another tragedy: With just two days after the death of her husband Rene Angelil, Celine lost her brother Daniel (59) to throat, tongue and brain cancer. Her entire life came crushing as the grief weighed in. The entire world and especially her fans gave all the support that could be given but no amount of comfort could change the hands of time.

Celine felt sorrowful not only for the passing of her husband and brother, but for their son Rene-Charles who had hoped to celebrate his 15th birthday 11 days later. Having her 14-year-old son watch as his father is buried was too much to bear.

Three Deadly Cancer Blows:

In 1999 Rene Angelil was first diagnosed of cancer. Celine Dion put the best time of her career on hold for 2 years in order to watch over her husband. Luckily, the treatment and recovery process was successful and Angelil was declared cancer-free in 2000.

Then in 2013 Rene suffered another cancer throat cancer and survived the strike. The event greatly affected Celine’s career. Her Asia tour was canceled for the sake of darling Rene.

Unfortunately, the third deadly strike was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Rene tried, Celine stayed strong, everyone prayed but God gave and he took. Death is a necessary end for every mortal.

Lost her father in 2003:

The cause of her father’s death was not made public. Adhemar Dion battled an undisclosed illness for a very long time until his passing. Since then, Celine has always fondly remembered him. In Las Vegas she once told her fans: “My dad was and still is my number-one fan. And I know that my dad would have [wanted] me to be here tonight on stage with everyone I love”. Her performance for the night was dedicated to her father as she cried uncontrollably. “What a Wonderful World” was her last song at the show before he returned to Canada for the father’s burial.

Poverty:

Growing up as the last child in a family of 14 couldn’t be any easier. ‘Poverty’ isn’t a kind word to express that living condition. However, her father Adhemar Dion was a butcher while her mother Therese Tanguay was a homemaker. Call Celine Dion ‘a girl in a coat of many colors’ because that’s exactly how she grew up – not rich but happy.

In 2012 she told Vanity Fair:

“Three or four of us in the same bed was normal to us. We weren’t poor, but we never had money. I don’t know if that makes sense. We were given love and affection and support. What else did we need?”

Career:

Celine’s family formed a musical group Dion’s Family which took them around Canada on tours while she was still a kid. At a piano bar the family opened later, Celine, 5, started giving solo performances for customers.

Her thrilling voice may not have been discovered if she wasn’t born in such a modest family. There is always strength in weakness if we look closely. Singing at the bar was more like a rehearsal before going public. It did work for Celine Dion.