As a huge Glee fan, hearing the news of Naya Rivera's death caught me off guard. Back when I attended middle school, I remember binge watching this amazing show and feeling connected to every cast member in some type of way. Cory Monteith, also known as Fin Hudson in Glee, passed away in July 17, 2013 from a drug overdose. Not too long ago, Mark Sallin, also known as Puck in Glee, committed suicide on January 30, 2018. Recently, 33-year-old Naya Rivera died from drowning at Lake Piru on July 8, 2020.

There are many conspiracy theories describing the sequence of events of her tragic death; however, authorities confirm that both Rivera and her son were on a pontoon boat on Wednesday. Rivera had left the boat for a swim, but she did not come back. Later on, when the boat did not return, authorities became suspicious and went to search for Rivera- only to find her 4 year-old son Josey Hollis Dorsey sleeping in the boat. After days of searching for Rivera's body, the search team finally located her body six days later.

The Glee cast holds hands at the shores of Lake Piruhttps://twitter.com/aboutherofcl/status/1282979837670502401

Rivera was an inspiration for many young people struggling to find their identities. Her character in Glee represented the LGBT+ community back in 2009 when there was a lack of representation and mostly closeted people. Throughout the show, she struggled to find her own identity; however, she was able to explore different aspects of herself through her music. She once said "My passion for music is one of my greatest loves." In the second season, she also came out as a lesbian and began to inspire many others to come out as well. She will always be seen as an inspirational and amazing woman who wasn't ashamed to stay true to her identity.

Rivera's death can be a reminder to many of us. For many, this could mean taking a step back from our busy lives and remembering to stay in touch with our family and close friends. For others, it could mean to take up a risk or a life-changing opportunity. As humans, the idea of death can be open for interpretation but it has its way of reuniting people as it did with Glee's cast members. It is important for us to process the pain and sadness, and take this time to grieve as there is no easy way to confront the idea of death.

One of my favorite Rivera solos from Glee: "Girl on Fire"

Girl On Fire (Full Performance) | GLEEyoutu.be