The news of Whitney Houston’s death on February 11th broke the hearts of music lovers around the world and left some people searching for meaning; I was one of them.

Whitney’s untimely passing reminded me of Michael Jackson and Judy Garland, stars whose talent was truly extraordinary, but whose pain could not be drowned by any amount of money or applause. The same goes for Whitney. Despite being in possession of that soaring voice, which endeared her to millions and sent her on a meteoric journey to the outer stratospheres of worldly success, she still didn’t know her power well enough to harness it, and to avoid self-destruction.

Her last album I Look To You focuses on the struggles of her later years and how she overcame them. It’s important that we remember she did overcome so much before she died; she found the courage to leave an abusive marriage, to launch a comeback (no easy effort for a woman nearing 50), and to kick a cocaine habit, which she did successfully for several years. It was her mother who finally corralled Whitney’s frenetic energies and brought her back to the spirituality of her youth. In the song I Didn’t Know My Own Strength, she sings:

Found hope in my heart

I found the Light to light my way out of the dark

Found all that I need, here inside of me

And I believe her; that she saw in herself everything that she had been looking for all along; that she explored her darkness without fear of what she’d find; that she had glimpsed Paradise, the island within all of us—a timeless place where forgiveness sets all things right, and hope imparts the truth that you are not built to break.

It’s so compelling to follow the struggles of someone who is beautiful, talented, rich, and famous, because one part of us knows that these things don’t bring us into alignment with Paradise, while the other part of us is betting that they do. She had everything and still wasn’t happy! We almost want to shout (and sometimes do), “Come on! You’re abusing these blessings! If you don’t enjoy them, give them to me and I will!” You think, “If I had the sickest body, the most heart-wrenching voice, limitless funds, and fans around the world—I’d honestly be a lot happier.” The truth is that you are no different from Whitney, and she comes to you in death as a witness saying, “I had to look everywhere else before I discovered that all that I ever needed was here inside of me.”

After hearing the news that she had died, I tweeted a prayer from my quote file, by author Marianne Williamson. It resonated with many of you, and the Los Angeles Times published it the next day, the only non-celeb tweet that was fit to print:

@jordanbach: May the wings of angels encircle Whitney Houston. Gratitude for her gifts, sorrow for her agony, and prayers for her release at last.

The title track on I Look To You has new meaning now, and I can’t help but feel deep peace knowing that Whitney has indeed been taken far away from the battle.