Mr Griffin: Dad Apology

Source: Reach Media / Reach Media

Want news at your fingertips? Text “ERICA” to 52140 to join our club. (Terms and conditions)

I had the grand opening month for Griffs Comedy Club, right, and the first night my father came. My father, my bonus mother I mean a bunch of people came. But my dad I sat in the front and I was telling jokes about him. I think one of the comedians, Josiah from Detroit, was like, oh, my mom’s white and my dad’s black and my dad left. And I never got whooped. I only got time outs or something like that, right? So I went behind him and I was like, ohh, I’m traumatized Josiah, let me tell you about some whoopins.

And then I went on to talk about my dad and he was laughing. His wife was left. Everybody’s laughing. But then Saturday he sends me this text at 11:49 AM.

And I’m gonna read it: ‘I now truly understand why I felt hated by you all these years being scared by the person who was supposed to protect you and keep you happy is the most horrible feeling and can lead to despair and a hole in the heart. Thanks be to God, I now understand and experience the same atmosphere and hated it is only this year to have let go and hopefully not too late.

I was a child but 17 still playing hide and go seek had no nurturing guidance or direction. Got into trouble convicted of felony manslaughter in the eighth grade. Trouble followed me because love didn’t carry me angry. Angry stayed angry till I met Myrtle. She could not understand the anger. Where she understood the pain, I attended Morehouse to study for Masters degree in pastoral care and counseling, certainly to help others, but more importantly to understand my pain and suffering.

My road has been rocks and switchbacks but now paved with soothing understanding. I love you. I apologize for making your youth so traumatic and ugly. So glad you now have a wonderful wife and partner, but stay funny, use comedy as therapy.’

Dad, first. Thank you, Dad for that. But I forgave you so long ago, Dad. But for any man or any woman who just was waiting for an apology for your upbringing, you know, it took my dad. This long to apologize and what’s crazy is I wanted this and 1990 and 1995 and 2000 and 2005 and 2009 and 2014 and two, but I ain’t need it no more.

I really forgave them, but I sent this text to my sons and I told them, you know, they heard all the stories. I told him about my dad. And then my sons are so dumb, they said. Ohh two OG’s about the tongue kiss, but to the people, I thank God that I was able to to hear that from him while he was alive and not in a note that maybe he left, you know, so.

That’s why Mr. Griffin, today I just wanna say thank you, Dad. I love you, man, but it’s all. Good. You was a kid. That is beautiful and I’m sure it’s very, very healing. For a lot of people some people will get that kind of apology and some will not, you know, but I’ll believe that healing is possible when healing is what you choose and when you choose God to be the one to heal you.

Because sometimes the person that you need meets their own heals. Like man, trouble followed me because love never carried me is.