More details are coming out regarding the lives of the brothers who bombed the Boston marathon.
And I keep wondering: why is it that some people who are given so many chances and opportunities, decide to destroy the world around them? While others who have so little, can dream of something … beautiful.
Country artist Kellie Pickler first appeared in the media as a contestant on American Idol in 2006.
Every time she opened her mouth, she annoyed me and left others speechless. She mispronounced words and didn’t understand questions. Was she really that simple? Stupid? Sheltered?
Or maybe she was aiming to be another Jessica Simpson.
The story was more complicated than that.
Her father, an alcoholic and drug addict, was in an out of prison throughout her childhood.
Her mother left her with her grandparents when she was a toddler, only to return years later. After the relationship became too abusive, Kellie’s grandparents regained custody and her mother disappeared again, permanently.
In 2002, while Kellie was in high school, her beloved grandmother passed away.
But Grandpa Ken continued to raise her, eventually talking her into the American Idol audition.
Ironically, little has changed over the years. Although married and a successful country singer, Kellie still lives with Grandpa Ken (and her husband). He also talked her into performing on this season’s Dancing with the Stars, hoping that she would partner with his favourite pro, Derek Hough. (She does.)
And she’s thriving on DWTS. Her years as a cheerleader have given her a fearlessness – not to mention a rubber band-like flexibility. But she greets every new dance style as a challenge to overcome.
So how did a girl whose life started out so crazy become so mentally healthy?
Kellie is a girl of simple truths. During a particularly frustrating rehearsal, she told Hough, “I don’t hate you. But I hate your ways right now.”
Despite working in an industry that is as much about style as substance, last fall, Kellie shaved her golden locks to support a close friend’s battle with breast cancer.
That same night she had a concert but refused to wear a wig on stage, claiming, “It’s just hair.”
She releases stress with Laughin’ Yoga and counts her husband as her greatest blessing.
And she makes choices. Instead of getting angry, she understands: “I accept the things I cannot change: I'll never have a relationship with [my mother] or the relationship with my father that I want.”
Instead of being the victim, she finds strength: “After my grandma passed away, my dreams were all I had. I lived to accomplish them.”
Like the woman herself, her music has sometimes received mixed reviews.
But my favourite song is her single, Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful. It’s about strength of character and the beauty within.
And it’s the reason that I believe Miz Pickler is one of the most beautiful women on television today.
