Over the weekend, Christina Grimmie, 22-year-old YouTuber and 3rd place winner of season 6 of "The Voice," was shot and killed after performing in a concert in Florida. 27-year-old attacker Kevin James Loibl came towards her at her merchandise table during a meet-and-greet. Grimmie threw open her arms to hug Loibl before being shot in the head. Her brother was able to tackle Loibl, who then shot himself before having the opportunity to shoot anyone else.
I discovered Christina on YouTube during my freshman year of college, a time when I felt generally distant from people, immersing myself in that community for solace. She helped me through that difficult time of transition and I was so excited to see how well she did on "The Voice," knowing she deserved every bit of the recognition she was getting. When I found out about her death Friday night, I was instantly filled with grief. However, while I knew it was normal to feel sadness for someone’s passing, I felt like I didn’t know her well enough to be as upset as I was. Why was I so sad?
As I took to YouTube to hear from others who were also mourning the loss of a dear friend and member of their community, I noticed that many people talked about how her energy changed the mood of any room she walked into. “She was a light,” Chris Thompson said in a video he posted Saturday morning. "You wanted to cuddle next to her for warmth. There was just something about her that you wanted to be near… She had that thing.”
I saw myself in Christina: She was the kind of person I aspired to be.
I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I have this same effect on people, that I am “a light.” I always strive to be a positive presence in others’ lives and to do good whenever I can. I’ll help a young couple clean up the juice their child spilled in a restaurant or smile at a homeless person and ask how their day is going. I'm always looking to make someone’s day a little bit better. I don’t do it for the compliment; I do it because I know that there is a need for more “lights” in the world.
While watching Chris' video, the reason I was upset finally hit me: I am terrified to live in the world that we now live in. I just watched the life of someone much like myself—kind, loving, my age—end so suddenly and so easily. I’m a problem-solver, so when bad things like this happen, I find myself wanting to figure out how it could have been avoided. This time, my mind came up blank: There was no way to stop this from happening.
In this broken world, we can choose either to hide from the evil that prevails on a daily basis, or we can choose to go out and be kind and show love to others. All that we have the power to control as individuals is how we treat other people. When we cower down and become scared to do good because of what might happen to us or become bitter and jaded in the face of tragedy, evil wins. We must continue to pour out ourselves into bettering the world, as I know she would have.
Christina will live on in her videos and in the hearts of those who had the chance to know her. She died showing unconditional love to everyone around her. Her light was put out, but we can put a million lights in her place, for her. Evil will not win today.
“Till He returns, or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand.”
You’ve been called home, Christina. Thank you for blessing us with your gifts during your short time on this earth.
Christina's manager has set up a GoFundMe page to help support her family in their time of grieving.
