"And all I remember is your back
Walking towards the airport, leaving us all in your past
I traveled 15 hundred miles to see you
Begged you to want me, but you didn't want to"
That is how this beautiful song starts. Right off the bat, the song grabs not only your attention but your heart. The song is about a father walking out on his family, in especially his daughter at the age of 6. The magic of this song is that it can work for anyone who has had someone leave without thinking it twice. Many can relate, often feeling at the moment that they aren't worth staying for, making up excuses that the person left for a good reason, but the truth is they only thought of themselves and ran away from their problems instead of facing them, and that is not your fault.
"But piece by piece you collected me
Up off the ground but you abandoned things
And piece by piece you filled the holes that you burned in me
At 6 years old and no
He never walks away
He never asks for money
He takes care of me
He loves me
Piece by piece
He restored my faith
That a man can be kind
And a father could stay"
The chorus of the song flash forwards to the future when you learn to love again. Moving on from being abandoned is hard. It takes time and strength. Time to heal the wounds they left behind. Strength to cope with it and to open your heart. You deserve to be loved and taken care of but that can only happen when you put your guard down and let people in. It may be hard at first, but you'll soon find someone that makes you feel safe. Not everyone you meet will be deserving of your kindness, some will take advantage and only use you. You have to be strong. You have to learn your worth.
"And all of your words fall flat
I made something of myself and now you wanna come back
But your love isn't free
It has to be earned
Back then I didn't have anything you needed
So I was worthless"
There will come a time when the person decides to come back, and you'll be challenged with the decision of what to do. Kelly Clarkson's truthful song articulates the moment when her father returns only when he saw it beneficial for him. After she reached fame and success, he wants to come back to reap the rewards. When that happens, it is usually the moment you'll want to hug and smack them all at the same time because they'll never know how much they hurt you and how much they'll always mean to you.
"Piece by piece I fell far from the tree
I would never leave her like you left me
She will never have to wonder her worth
Because unlike you I'm gonna put her first
He'll never walk away
He'll never break her heart
He'll take care of things
He'll love her
Piece by piece
He restored my faith
That a man can be kind
And a father should be great"
One day in the distant future, you will have a family of your own, and you will vow to never make the same mistakes. You won't, because you know the pain too well to allow anyone to experience it. Don't condemn the whole female or male race for that person's actions. No one is perfect, and no one should hope to find someone that is. But there is a person out there who will gain your trust, faith and heart. It just takes time.
Kelly Clarkson has always been strong and open talking about her father, giving the world a chance to deal with our own ghosts. She is an example that when you let go of all the anger, you are able to create room for peace and love.
