Courtney Love Pays Tribute to Kurt Cobain on 29th Anniversary of His Death
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of suicide that some readers may find distressing.
Courtney Love, the widow of the late rock star Kurt Cobain, has paid tribute to her "twin flame" on the 29th anniversary of his tragic death. The couple's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, also took to Instagram to remember her father in a heartfelt message.
Love shared a powerful photograph of Cobain's hands taken by R.E.M. musician, Michael Stipe. The black and white image shows Cobain's hands adorned with rings and bracelets, and Love called it one of the few images that make her miss him deeply. The Nirvana frontman and Love began dating in 1991 and got married in Hawaii in 1992. Cobain tragically died in 1994 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Love started her caption with an appreciation for Stipe's vision: "I love beautiful hands, it’s the first thing I look at in another. I love that the only photograph of Kurt that @michaelstipe took, despite being a lover of all sorts of beauty, kudzu, @helenachristensen, river phoenix [sic]; dozens if not 100s of gorgeous photos of people he finds and sees their ‘Shen’ (a Chinese word of what’s in the eyes - loosely translated as ‘mojo’ but more about the ‘twinkle’)
She then continued, "But Micheal saw these hands. These left handed beautiful hands like a votive/ a mudra, a shot this singular, powerful photograph of my twin flame. It is one of the only images (or sounds/ tastes etc) that makes me miss him deeply."
In her tribute post, Love reflected on their shared Buddhist practice and how it comforted Cobain during his life. She expressed her belief that he is in an enlightened place, free from the struggles of human existence. "But he chanted with me & often, & truly was moved by our Buddhist practice. Thus, I know he’s in an enlightened place, more so, than we here in mappo are. 'The arms of a 1000 Buddhas outstretched to greet you' the gosho says. Nam myoho renge kyo dear Kurt D. C," she wrote in the caption. She ended the caption by saying she missed him.
Frances Bean Cobain also posted on her Instagram story, sharing a quote about the nature of life and death. She spoke about the purpose of death and how it makes life precious. “‘Life is like a wave crashing upon the shore & death is like the wave returning back to the ocean, back to its most natural state,’” she wrote, as per Page Six.
“Free from pain or human worry,” the visual artist added. “Death serves a purpose. It is what makes life so precious, in the same way, pain is purposeful because we wouldn’t know joy without it.” Frances urged her followers to “hold” their loved ones “a little more tightly and a little bit closer for me today.” The tribute posts from Love and Frances Bean Cobain have touched the hearts of fans across the world.
If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is, please contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
