Born Marvin Lee Aday on September 27, 1947, in Dallas, Texas, Meat Loaf was destined for great things. His raw talent and determination to succeed seemed to be the key to rising to stardom.
Although he’s best known for his music, it was film that helped him make a name for himself back in the day. In 1973, he landed a role in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show and later starred in the film.
In 1977, after signing with Cleveland International Records, Meat Loaf released the hit You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. “I have the patience of a cat,” he told NME, as quoted by The Guardian. “I’ll sit tight and wait until everything is right.”
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
That same year, Meat Loaf’s first album was released, Bat Out of Hell, which remains until this very day one of the top-10 selling albums of all time.
One of the songs which became a huge hit and went platinum was the everlasting I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).
His performances were always amazingly beautiful.
On July 13, 1994, the Grammy Award-winning vocalist delivered an epic rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner for the 65th MLB All-Star Game at the Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Meat Loaf delivered the national anthem in a way no one has ever done it before. He elevated it to a whole new level, teaching a masterclass on how this song should be performed.
In every section of the stadium, people sang along, with their hands on their hearts.
Meat Loaf was accompanied by his pianist, which added to the beauty of the performance.
Needless to say, it was a day when the musician gained a lot more fans.
If you haven’t seen the video of this iconic performance of the national anthem, you can see it below.
The comments under the video speak volumes of how respected Meat Loaf was by his fans. It also says a lot about how powerful his vocals were.
“This is how the national anthem should be sung. No fancy vocal customization. Just power, emotion and respect,” one person commented. “The best national anthem I’ve ever seen performed by a male singer. the ultimate power, the ultimate passion, the ultimate truth,” another person added. “There is no prouder moment in “sports history” than Meatloaf singing The Star Spangled Banner. This still brings tears to my eyes after all these years,” a third commented.
Sadly, Meat Loaf passed away on January 20, 2022, due to complications from COVID-19.
He will forever be missed.
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Ben was a widower raising his 5-year-old son all by himself, and when I got involved with him and later married him, I knew what I was signing up for. Luckily, little Lucas accepted me with arms wide open. He even started calling me mom, and I loved that more than anything. I simply loved my new home.
Lucas has been the sweetest little boy. He missed his mom but his dad made sure they kept the memory of her alive. Lucas often talked about Irene, mostly about the things Ben told him about her because he was too young when she passed away in order to be able to remember much.
Life felt good. Ben and Lucas became my entire world, and I felt like the happiest woman with them in my life.
Midjourney
One evening, as I put Lucas to bed and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, he whispered something in my ear that gave me chills. “You know, my mom still lives in this house. I see her sometimes.”
My heart started pounding faster. “Oh, Lucas,” I said, “your mom will always live in your beautiful heart.”
Days gone by and I almost forgot about Lucas’ words until strange things started taking place.
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After Lucas was done playing with his toys, I would pick them up and place them inside the toy box, but the following morning, they were all over the living room again. When I rearranged the kitchen cabinets, I would find the items placed as they were before I even touched them.
“Am I going crazy?” I thought to myself. Although I knew I wasn’t imagining things, I tried not to think about it much, but I understood I couldn’t ignore it any longer after the photo of Irene, my husband’s late wife, that I placed in the hallway reappeared in he living room the following morning.
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With a chilly expression, I asked Ben one day, “Hun, are you moving things around the house?”
Looking at me as though I didn’t know what I was talking about, he said, “Of course not, Brenda, why would I?”
I couldn’t wrap my head around the mystery surrounding the objects in my home, until Lucas told me one say, “Mom says she doesn’t want you to touch her things.”
“What was going on?” I kept asking myself. “Is it possible that Lucas is telling the truth? Could Irene really be alive?”
That evening, I decided to stay awake. I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. Not knowing what to do, I decided to check the attic. It was where Ben kept most of Irene’s things. I was there before, but maybe I missed something important.
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Quietly, I got out of bed and headed towards the attic, trying not to wake Ben or Lucas. Honestly, I felt guilty about inspecting the place, but the curiosity got better of me. I needed to know what was going on in my home.
In the attic, there were plenty of things that belonged to Irene. Her wedding ring was carefully wrapped in a piece of paper and placed on the table. Dusty boxes containing her personal things were also there. But, there were also items that were freshly moved.
As I looked around, I noticed a small door in the corner. It was half hidden behind a bunch of boxes. I hadn’t noticed it before.
The door led me to a narrow room dimly lit by a small window. And there on the bed lay a woman. She was all covered in a blanket.
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I approached closer and saw a familiar face that I had seen in Ben’s albums. It was his sister, Emily.
“Emily, is that you?” I asked quietly. She looked at me, surprised that I found her.
“Yes, that’s me,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’ve been here for three years.”
“Three years!?” I yelled. “But why? Why are you hiding here?”
“Because I love it here,” she said. “Ben would be mad at me if he knows you found me,” she added.
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“Emily, do you know Lucas believes you are his mom, not his aunt?” I asked her.
“I know, I sometimes tell him stories about his mother, you know, because he misses her so much.”
She then got a bit nervous and yelled, “And don’t tell me what to do. It’s better if he things his mom is alive.”
I left the attic and went to bed. In the morning, I told Ben about the previous night.
“Oh, Brenda, I should have told you about Emily earlier,” he said. “But you know, she’s sick, and she refuses to get medical help. I couldn’t just leave her so she stayed in the attic,” he explained.
It wasn’t about Emily staying with us, it was about her playing games with Lucas’ mind, and I made sure Ben understood the severity of the situation.
Midjourney
“You are right,” he said. “She’s confusing Lucas, and I had no idea she ever spoke to him.”
After a couple of days, Ben gathered the courage to tell Lucas about his aunt. He explained that his mom wasn’t coming back, and that his aunt pretended to be her because she loved him and didn’t want him to suffer. He also explained that she was living in our home because she was sick.
Lucas was way too young to understand that, but we knew that he would once he got a bit older.
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As for Emily, she refused medical help and even screamed and cried, but Ben stood firm in his decision to have her admitted to a hospital where she could receive the right treatment for her mental condition.
Hopefully, when she gets better, she would be part of our home again.
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First published back in 1779, Amazing Grace remains a classic that is hard to beat. The incredible piece was written some years earlier by famous English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton. The story behind this masterpiece known as a Christian hymn is a story of enlightenment and trust in the mercy and power of God.
Newton wasn’t always a religious person, on the contrary, Christianity and religion in general were very distant to him up until a moment in his life when he sought from God to spare his life.
It is certain that all of us have heard this song being performed by numerous artists, both known and unknown, but the following performance does stand out.
The scene opens with a single singer that stands among 200 bagpipe players. The solo performance sounds stunningly beautiful and once the singing stops, a single bagpipe player continues the tune.
Amazing Grace
As the audience watches in delighted, the rest of the bagpipe players join in for the second verse of Amazing Grace.
The performance continues with yet another verse, and this time, the rich baritone adds to the depth of the song. Slowly, performers carrying blazing torches get on stage, creating a circle around the group. An aerial shot from the camera depicts an enchanting view.
Amazing Grace
The audience cheers enthusiastically as those carrying the torches exit the stage, allowing everyone in the room to reflect on the profound performance.
The video has been seen over 7 million times.
“This is but a glimpse of what singing in Heaven will be like,” one person commented. “I honestly believe that bagpipes are instruments sent from heaven,” another added, and we can’t agree more.
“I think there is no musical instrument which is able to more directly hit your heart, your soul, than a bagpipe. Combined with the voice it makes you feel humble. And happy. It truly is amazing,” someone else commented.
This performance is truly one of the most enchanting ones of Amazing Grace that we’ve ever seen. The vocals of Carl Ellis, accompanied by the sound of the bagpipes, are equal to magic.
When Charlotte Holmes went to see her cardiologist in 2019, he immediately asked that she be admitted to the hospital. Her blood pressure was 234/134, way above the normal ranges. What this woman didn’t know, however, was that she would see both heaven and hell that day.
As she experienced a hypertensive crisis, her doctor said she wouldn’t be going home. Instead, she was hooked up to an IV in attempt to have her blood vessels relaxed. The doctor warned her that she could experience a heart attack.
At one moment, Charlotte started talking about “the flowers.” Her husband Danny, who was right there by her side, knew something wasn’t right when she mentioned flowers while there was not a single flower in the room. It was though as she was only physically present in that room.
“Immediately they called this code, and everybody started rushing in and they just started working on her,” Danny recalls. “My feeling was…I’m wondering if I’m even going to be able to bring her home.”
Sadly, Charlotte heart stopped, and according to her and Danny, it didn’t start working again until 11 minutes later.
“I was above my body. I could see Danny standing in the corner,” Charlotte said of her “out of body experience.” “[Danny] had backed up. I could see them, all the nurses around. And then I opened my eyes. I looked around at the beauty. I could see the trees, I could see the grass. And everything was swaying with the music. I can’t convey to you what heaven looked like, [because] it’s so above what we could even imagine, a million times.”
She claimed angels guided her to heaven and that there was no fear, just pure joy.
Charlotte then reunited with her deceased parents and other deceased family members. She claimed she saw her late mom and dad holding a child, and that child was the one she miscarried when in the sixth month of pregnancy.
“I can remember them holding the baby up and saying, ‘Charlotte, it’s a boy.’ Then he was gone. So when I saw this toddler, I said, ‘God, how is that possible?’ He says, ‘They continue to grow in heaven. But there’s no time. It’s eternity.’ So, 48 years, and here my child, our child, is a toddler.”
Charlotte saw heaven and hell.
As she witnessed the joy of heaven, God showed her what hell looked like and it smelled like rotten flash.
“After seeing the beauty of heaven, the contrast of seeing hell is almost unbearable,” she explained.
According to Charlotte, God told her to spread the story of her experience and warn people of the horrors of hell.
“This is where they shall reside,” she heard a voice saying before she returned to her body.
After 11 minutes and seeing heaven and hell, Charlotte started blinking with her eyes. She was back.
In November 2023, Charlotte passed away at the age of 72. Until the final day of her life, she was sharing the story of the divine experience.
“It is so hard for me to give this beautiful little lady up after 52 years of an amazing life…When she died in 2019 and God gave her a glimpse of heaven, her life changed until he called her home…Her journey has ended,” her husband wrote on the social media following her passing.
What do you think of this experience of visiting heaven and hell?
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As Paul and I shopped for Thanksgiving Eve, all I could think of was what my life with him would be like. We were together for a couple of years and thought about living together but he always avoided the conversation of staring a family and welcoming a child. It was as though he didn’t want to be a father, and being a mom was all I ever longed for.
However, I always convinced myself that he probably needed more time and eventually he would be ready for the next chapter.
As I was looking at the onsies and the baby shoes imagining I was shopping baby stuff, Paul interrupted me saying, “I’ll go grab some wine, you finish here and I’ll wait you at the car.” He then gave me a gentle kiss.
I remembered I needed to get some flowers for the centerpiece and turned to the flower section when a young woman carrying a child, around 4 years old, came to me and handed me the little girl. “Please take her for a second. I’ll be right back.”
But before I could even say anything, she vanished. I thought she was in a hurry and would return for the girl quickly but after 15 minutes of waiting, I started looking for her around the huge store. My heart started pounding when I realized the woman was nowhere to be seen.
Midjourney
Holding the girl as tight as I could, I took her to the security desk where an announcement was made through the intercom, but no one came forward.
I started panicking, but then I saw Paul approaching, carrying a bottle of wine.
He asked me about the girl, who said her name was Ella, and I explained everything. When she saw Paul, Ella got scared and whispered to me, “Mommy said I would be spending Thanksgiving Eve with a new mommy. Are you my new mommy.”
“Oh, my God,” I thought to myself. This child was being abandoned.
Midjourney
Paul said we needed to take Ella to the police station right away, and I agreed it was probably the best thing we could do.
But as we drove, Ella told us that she had never tried turkey or had dinner on Thanksgiving Eve. My heart crushed for this sweet girl. Who knew how hard her life has been.
I asked Paul to stop the car and begged him to take Ella home for the night and then take her to the police station first thing in the morning. But he turned to me and said, “You must have lost your mind.” He then started the car, leaving me and Ella at the gas station.
Midjourney
That Thanksgiving Eve was the most peaceful in my entire life.
Ella’s presence made everything different, more beautiful. She tried turkey for the first time and really like it. “I love your turkey new mommy,” she said, and I realized that my wish of someone calling me mom was even grater than I anticipated.
However, just as Ella was about to have a desert, a loud knock on the door of my tiny apartment disturbed the piece and quiet. It was Paul with the Child Protective Service. They took Ella away.
Paul said that we could finally have our dinner at peace, but his indifference was the final straw. Reality hit me that he would never want to be a father.
Midjourney
The night passed, and in the morning, I broke up with him and started a long and tiring procedure of adopting Ella.
It took a lot of time and finances, but she was finally mine. I was her mother and she was my girl. I knew I didn’t need a man in my life in order to have a child. My world became a better place.
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My father’s millions, which he had plenty of, were supposed to secure my future. I never cared about money because he always provided everything for me. That, however, didn’t mean I didn’t make any money myself, but having him near provided me with a sense of stability.
Since my mother passed away, my grandmother, Loretta, was the one who raised me. My dad was busy running his company, and it was grandma who took care of me and taught me everything. She, however, has always been very strict – someone who demanded I live by her rules.
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Every now and then, she would make comments about my posture, reminding me to sit straight because I was a lady. All she has ever wished for was to turn me into a mini version of herself, and I didn’t object because I didn’t want to get in trouble.
Sadly, my dad passed away recently.
It was then that my grandma advised me I should invest his inheritance wisely and secure my future. But on the day my father’s will was read, both my grandma and I were left in complete shock.
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As the lawyer went through the will, he said, “As per your father’s wishes, his estates go to Brenna.”
“Brenna!?” I said. “But who is Brenna?”
The lawyer then turned to me and said Brenna was my father’s other daughter.
“Wait, what?” I asked, totally puzzled by his words. “I have a sister!?”
His answer was a resounding yes. He assured me my dad wished I knew about my sister sooner, but he didn’t have the courage to tell me.
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As I stood there frozen, my grandma grabbed me by my hand and said, “Go find that Brenna girl and force to do what’s right. That estate belongs to us.”
I didn’t care about the estate as much as I wanted to learn more of my father’s other child. At the end of the day that other daughter was my blood, my sister…
Before I knew, I found myself in front of Brenna’s modest home. I didn’t know what to expect, I just knocked on the door and hoped for the best.
Midjourney
The door was opened by a beautiful young lady who greeted me with a smile on her face.
“You must be Mona,” she said, “Please come in.”
Her home resembled a completely new world than the one I was used to. The place was rather small and there was paint and unfinished pottery everywhere. My sister was an artistic soul, I thought to myself and remembered the time I wanted to be an artist myself but my grandma taught that wasn’t for me.
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Brenna was extremely welcoming. She was happy she had a sister as much as I was glad to have finally found her.
We bonded easily, but then one day, my grandma appeared at Brenna’s doorstep demanding that she gives back my father’s estate.
She didn’t want to do anything with Brenna although she was her granddaughter as much as I was.
Midjourney
Brenna started trembling and took some old letters from the cupboard covered in paint. Those were the letters my father sent to her mother. In them, he revealed that it was his mother Loretta who forbade him from introducing Brenda and me. I couldn’t believe that my grandma knew about Brenna this whole time.
This time, however, I wouldn’t let my grandma control my decisions. Brenna was now part of my life and she was there to stay.
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As marijuana becomes more widely accepted for medical, recreational, and stress-relief purposes, a growing body of research suggests adults aged 30 and above may want to rethink their habits. Still smoking weed at 30? Learn what science has to say in this article.
Recent studies out of Australia indicate potential drawbacks for older cannabis users, raising questions about its long-term impact on life outcomes.
Smoking Marijuana After 30 Might Affect Your Success
If you’re smoking weed at 30 and still enjoy the occasional joint, new research from The University of Queensland may have some sobering news.
A study examining the life outcomes of marijuana users revealed that adults continuing the habit after 30 tend to have lower success rates across various measures. These criteria include:
Education
Income
Home ownership
Relationship status
Reported happiness
Interestingly, the study found these negative impacts only applied to those who continued smoking weed into their 30s, suggesting younger, experimental use might not have the same consequences. However, the researchers caution against overgeneralizing their findings.
Limitations of the Study
Before swearing off marijuana altogether, it’s important to consider the study’s limitations. While the research provides intriguing insights, it has several caveats that may impact its broader applicability:
1 – Narrow Demographics
The data is based on a localized Australian population consisting entirely of mothers. Additionally, some of the information dates back to 1981, which may not reflect modern societal trends or diverse populations worldwide.
2 – Questionable Success Markers
The study uses criteria like home ownership and relationship status as markers of success, which are highly subjective. Cultural and geographical factors heavily influence these measures.
For instance, many successful individuals today opt for renting or embracing a digital nomad lifestyle, and being single doesn’t inherently indicate failure.
3 – Overlap with Other Drugs
The study didn’t fully account for the potential influence of polydrug use. Researchers admitted they lacked sufficient data on other substances, such as synthetic drugs or opioids, that might also contribute to the negative outcomes observed in some participants.
What Does This Mean for You?
Ultimately, the research highlights the importance of moderation and self-awareness.
Experimenting with marijuana in your youth won’t necessarily derail your future, but overuse in adulthood might have unintended consequences.
Tips for Responsible Use:
Monitor your motivation levels and performance at work.
Keep track of your spending habits to ensure cannabis isn’t impacting your finances.
Make sure marijuana doesn’t interfere with personal relationships or responsibilities.
If you find the habit affecting your life negatively, it may be time to consider cutting back or quitting altogether.
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Amelia was eager to meet her newborn grandson, Hans, but her son Mark refused to pick her up. Despite her mobility issues, she walked for hours to get to his house, only to be turned away at the door. The poor mom was banned from seeing her grandson.
This shocking moment left her heartbroken and revealed the strained relationship between a mother and her son.
Mark had always been a devoted son, but things started to change after his marriage to Camilla, who came from a wealthy family. Mark’s new life made him pull away from his humble roots, leaving his poor mom feeling increasingly alienated.
This distance reached its peak when Mark decided to ban her from meeting her grandson, an act that would have lasting consequences.
Amelia’s Determined Journey
After being told by Mark that he couldn’t pick her up, Amelia decided to take matters into her own hands. Using her walker, she embarked on a five-hour journey to her son’s house.
Her only goal was to see her newborn grandson, Hans. Along the way, she battled exhaustion, hunger, and pain but remained determined to meet her family.
However, when she arrived at Mark’s home, her excitement turned to despair. Mark stepped out of the house, closed the door behind him, and told her she couldn’t come in. “Mom, I told you to wait until another day. You can’t be here right now,” he said angrily.
Amelia, stunned and hurt, tried to explain that she had walked for hours just to see her grandson. But Mark dismissed her efforts and shut the door in her face, leaving her standing outside.
Heartbroken, Amelia left a bag of childhood keepsakes on his doorstep and began the arduous journey back home.
A Change of Heart
Later that night, Mark found the bag Amelia had left. Inside, he discovered his old childhood toys, which brought back memories of his mother’s unconditional love and sacrifices. Overwhelmed with guilt, he realized the gravity of his actions.
Mark confided in his wife, Camilla, and admitted that he had been ashamed of his poor mom and their humble background. Camilla encouraged him to make amends.
Determined to right his wrong, Mark drove to his mother’s house, where he found her resting on the couch with swollen legs from her long walk.
Healing and Forgiveness
Mark apologized sincerely, explaining his feelings of shame and regret. Amelia, ever the loving mother, forgave him and reassured him that making things right was the most important lesson she had taught him.
Mark spent the night caring for her, ensuring she was comfortable and fed.
The next day, Mark brought Amelia to his house to meet her grandson. Camilla also apologized for not realizing the situation sooner.
The family spent a joyful day together, and Amelia offered Camilla valuable advice about raising a baby.
Realizing how much his mother meant to him, Mark asked her to move in with his family.
Amelia accepted, bringing the family closer than ever and ensuring that her love and wisdom would always be a part of her grandson’s life.
What We Can Learn
Never be ashamed of your parents. Mark’s shame about his humble background led him to hurt his poor mom deeply, but he eventually realized the value of her love and sacrifices.
It’s important to make amends. When Mark recognized his mistake, he took immediate steps to apologize and mend his relationship with his mother.
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