The X-factor...

Last night, I was watching the biography of Bernie Mac on A&E. There is always the saying that the funniest, most talented people have the most tragic and challenging backgrounds. It was amazing to see how he struggled to make it to where he is today and can be so grounded despite his success. Last night, I developed a whole new respect for him and here is why. I don't think many people either respect and/or understand old school child rearing. With so many fractured families, this type of environment is quite common. The role of grandma and grandpa are not just occasional holiday visits. They live with you. They bring a whole new perspective on life, and what it all means. It's weird at times. I feel like I am in a totally different generation or something. Like an old lady trapped in the body of a 26 year old. Which is good I guess, as remembering your purpose and value is always important, and if you don't respect yourself, no one else will. I'm finding old souls are the best souls. They are the most genuine and honest in many aspects. One poignant clip from last night was when Bernie was talking about a birthday he had as a kid and that his dad promised to come for, but was late. The same day, Bernie got like $15.00 in birthday money. Much later, his dad did arrive, but he had some lame excuse about how how his car died and he needed exactly $15.00 to get it fixed. So his dad took his birthday money without a flinch. However, Bernie's grandma chased the dad down the street, hit him with a frying pan, and took the money back. Why does this sound and feel so familiar? I'm not going to turn this into a blitz on non-existent fathers, because the pain that gets inflicted is pretty obvious. Well, not just fathers, but from anyone that you had hopes and admiration for, but did not deliver. That hurt is like no other, and I am not sure that it will ever go away. Fortunately, there are situations that have people to pick up the slack. Thank God for them.