Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Aaron Presley, the "King." Yet this day has turned in to a weeklong celebration of his life, music and movies. Memphis is a buzz with an estimated 100,000 visitors this week to immerse themselves in everything Elvis. Some of the events slated for this week include an Elvis convention, an Elvis scrapbooking class, Elvis impersonation contests, a candlelight vigil at Graceland (last night), memorial mass at St. Paul's Catholic Church with spaghetti dinner to follow, and tribute concerts to name a few. One of the event I am looking forward to the most is the duet with Lisa Marie and her father performing "In the Ghetto" in a video for the tribute concert tonight.

I have a soft spot for the "King" as my mother always referred to him. She is one of his die-hard fans. Even though she doesn't get in to all the events and hype surrounding the anniversaries of his birth and death, I am sure she will quietly have fond thoughts as to how much she loved him as a teenager along with every other girl in the nation. And perhaps listen to some of his music or watch one of his movies. Although she doesn't make the trek to Memphis with the throngs of fanatical Elvis fans, she did pass along her love of his talents to me. I have developed a great appreciation for the man throughout my life and I continue to pass it along.

My husband was definitely not raised with the love of Elvis that I was. A few years ago my husband and I made a trip to Tunica, Mississippi. While there we decided to take some time and drive up to Memphis (30 miles up the road) to see Graceland. At some point during our tour of the shrine my husband gained a new respect and appreciation for the man behind the "King." We spent almost the whole 10-hour drive home listening to his music and talking about his impact on the world. That particular trip happened to take place during early January (Elvis's birthday). We were amazed to see all the floral arrangements and sprays of flowers that we sent to Graceland wishing Elvis a happy birthday over 25 years after the man's death. That is IMPACT!

I cannot think of another entertainer that has touched so many lives with his talents. It is hard to understand how much charisma and individual must have to impact people around the world so that they commemorate him for a full 9-day week over 30 years after his death. But for those of us that miss him it is a sad day to see yet another year slip away without him.