Speaking her truth. Janet Jackson is opening up about her struggle to find happiness during challenging parts her life in an intimate essay.
The Grammy winner, 52, reflects on the hardships she has had to overcome in the emotional piece while covering Essence magazine’s July/August edition titled, “The Happiness Issue.”
“When it comes to happiness, I’m no expert. I have only my life experience as a guide. I’ve known great happiness and great sadness,” Jackson writes. “But I guess the key question is, what do I really know about happiness?”
The “Rhythm Nation” singer notes that she especially struggled with happiness in her forties.
“Like millions of women in the world, I still heard voices inside my head berating me, voices questioning my value,” she continues. “Happiness was elusive. A reunion with old friends might make me happy. A call from a colleague might make me happy. But because sometimes I saw my failed relationships as my fault, I easily fell into despair.”
Jackson split from third husband Wissam Al Mana in April 2017 after five years of marriage. The former couple share son Eissa, 18 months, who she writes is the light of her life.
“The height of happiness is holding my baby son in my arms and hearing him coo, or when I look into his smiling eyes and watch him respond to my tenderness,” Jackson continues. “When I kiss him. When I sing him softly to sleep. During those scared times, happiness is everywhere. Happiness is gratitude to God. Happiness is saying, ‘Thank you, God, for my life, my energy and my capacity to grow in love.’”
Jackson previously shared a sweet sentiment about the tot back in May. “My son, even in his short 17 months on this planet, has showed me that love, no matter how deeply you believe you have experienced that emotion, can always go deeper,” she raved during an interview with Billboard. “Day after day and night after night, holding my baby in my arms, I am at peace. I am blessed. I feel bliss. In those moments, all is right with the world.”
The “Miss You Much” songstress is quite protective over her youngster. Earlier this month, she called the police to check on Eissa’s well-being while he was with Al Mana, 43, at the Nobu Hotel in Malibu. Authorities checked on the boy and confirmed that he was OK before leaving, a watch commander told Us at the time.
