>>> WERE BACK WITH CRAIG MELVIN
WHO GETS PERSONAL.
HIS NEW BOOK.
>> CRAIG WRITES ABOUT THE
COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP HE AND
HIS DAD HAD AND HOW THEY
STRUGGLED FOR YEARS TO GET TO
THE BEAUTIFUL PLACE THEY ARE
NOW.
>> WERE TALKING TO CRAIG IN A
SECOND.
FIRST, LOOK AT HIS VERY PERSONAL
STORY.
>> I NEVER QUESTIONED WHETHER HE
LOVED ME.
I QUESTIONED WHETHER HE LIKED ME
A LOT.
I MEAN, THERE WERE TIMES WHERE
WE WERE JUST SO DISCONNECTED
GROWING UP.
>> GROWING UP CRAIG MELVIN
THOUGHT OF HIS DAD IN HIS OWN
WORDS AS A GHOST.
THERE, BUT NOT THERE.
>> IT IMPACTED ME MORE WHEN I
WAS YOUNGER THAN I FULLY
REALIZED.
I DEVELOPED A DEEP SEEDED
RESENTMENT.
I DIDNT UNDERSTAND WHY.
I WAS ACTIVE WITH A BUNCH OF
STUFF AT SCHOOL, I WAS A GOOD
KID.
WHY WOULDNT YOU WANT TO BE
THERE?
IT WASNT UNTIL I BECAME A
JOURNALIST AND DOING STORIES ON
PEOPLE THAT STRUGGLED MIGHTILY
WITH MYRIAD ADDICTIONS, AND THEN
I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND, OH,
THAT WAS IT.
>> LAWRENCE MELVYN, OR POPS AS
CRAIG CALLS HIM STRUGGLED WITH
ADDICTION THE MAJORITY OF HIS
LIFE.
>> THE MEMORIES BECAME DAD
DRINKING, DAD BEING DRUNK, DAD
PASSED OUT OR DAD AT WORK.
THAT WAS KIND OF IT.
FOR A LONG TIME.
AS A SOCIETY I THINK
UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS A
TENDENCY TO CANCEL PEOPLE, TO
WRITE THEM OFF, NO ONE WANTS TO
BE BOTHERED WITH THE ADDICT
AFTER THE FIRST OR SECOND TRY.
AND WE DID THAT FOR A WHILE.
BUT FOR ME, LIKE IF YOURE -- IF
YOURE A PERSON OF FAITH, YOU
CANT DO THAT IN GOOD
CONSCIENCE.
WERE ALL CLIMBING DIFFERENT
MOUNTAINS, AND MY FATHER WAS
CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN.
>> IT WAS AN UPHILL CLIMB
LAWRENCE WOULD EVENTUALLY
CONQUER AT 67 YEARS OLD POPS
WENT TO REHAB AND IS NOW
CELEBRATING TWO YEARS OF
SOBRIETY.
THESE DAYS CRAIG MARVELS AT THE
KIND OF FATHER/SON RELATIONSHIP
HE NOW HAS WITH HIS POPS.
>> I HOPE THAT I HAVE THE KIND
OF RELATIONSHIP WITH MY SON 20
YEARS FROM NOW THAT IVE HAD
WITH MY DAD FOR THE PAST TWO
YEARS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
THATS WHAT I WANT.
>> OH.
>> THATS WHAT YOU WANT.
>> THATS WHAT YOURE GOING TO
GET, WE HAVE A FEELING, CRAIG.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> IM OKAY.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME, THIS IS SO
NICE.
>> CRAIG, THIS BOOK IS PERSONAL.
AND I -- I MEAN, ITS VERY
VULNERABLE.
I THINK HODA AND I ARE BOTH SO
PROUD OF YOU BECAUSE WE SEE YOU
AS THIS FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE
WHOS BUTTONED UP AND TELLING
THE NEWS.
I CAN TELL YOURE A LITTLE
BIT --
>> UNCOMFORTABLE?
>> A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT
TELLING YOUR OWN STORY.
BUT IT IS BRAVE.
SO WHAT ULTIMATELY DECIDED, MADE
YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS.
I MEAN, MY DAD AND I JUST GOT TO
SUCH A GOOD POINT AND HE AND I
HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HIS
STORY DOING SOME GOOD AND HE
WANTED TO DO SOME GOOD AND I HAD
A LOT MORE FREE TIME IN THE
PANDEMIC.
BOTH THOSE THINGS CONVERGED.
THATS HOW WE GOT IT.
>> DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD
SEE YOUR DAD GO TO AA?
>> NO.
>> YOU KNEW HIM YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
>> NO.
>> WERE YOU SHOCKED WHEN HE --
WHEN FINALLY THE INTERVENTION
HAPPENED AND FINALLY HE SAID,
YES, TO IT BECAUSE HE STILL
NEEDS TO SAY YES.
>> STUNNED.
WE TRIED BEFORE.
WE TRIED INTERVENTIONS OVER THE
YEARS, AND THEY JUST DIDNT
STICK.
AND THIS TIME, WE WERE -- THE
LAST TIME WE DID IT WE ENLISTED
A PROFESSIONAL.
AND THAT MADE ALL THE
DIFFERENCE.
WE ENLISTED A PROFESSIONAL AND I
WRITE ABOUT IT IN THE BOOK.
IT ALSO HELPS, FUNNY NOW, WASNT
FUNNY AT THE TIME.
ALSO HELPS WHEN WE HAD THE
INTERVENTION HE WAS BLACKOUT
DRUNK THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED
THE FACILITY WHERE HE WENT, AND
I CHECKED IN ON HIM, AND THE
DOCTOR WAS LIKE, OH, YEAH, HES
FINE NOW.
HES IN OUR SOBER TANK.
HE DIDNT REMEMBER GOING.
>> THE OTHER PART OF THIS STORY
IS ITS A TRUE LOVE STORY
BECAUSE ITS ABOUT FORGIVENESS
AND REDEMPTION AND GRACE.
>> IT IS, YES.
>> THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK
WE SEE GLIMMERS OF THEM IN OUR
SOCIETY BUT NOT AS CLEARLY AS I
THINK YOU WERE RAISED TO SEE.
>> IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME,
OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS
ESPECIALLY, THAT I HAD TO
FORGIVE MY DAD.
NOT FOR HIM.
FOR ME.
I HAD TO FORGIVE HIM FOR MYSELF
BUT I ALSO WROTE THIS TO HELP
HIM UNDERSTAND THAT HES
FORGIVEN.
BECAUSE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HE
WOULD FEEL SO BAD ABOUT THE
YEARS THAT HE MISSED AND HOW HE
WASNT REALLY THERE, AND I
WANTED HIM TO KNOW, WHILE HES,
YOU KNOW, STILL WITH US, I
WANTED TO GIVE HIM HIS FLOWERS
TO MAKE SURE HE UNDERSTOOD ALL
IS RIGHT.
>> YOU GAVE HIM HIS FLOWERS, HE
GAVE YOU THAT LETTER THAT YOU
TALKED ABOUT, THOSE WERE YOUR
FLOWERS AND WE KNOW THAT FAITH
IS LIKE REAL BIG IN YOUR HEART.
YOU TALK ABOUT IT HERE.
WE FEEL IT FROM NOW.
HOW SPECIAL IS -- THERES ONE
PARTICULAR HYMN THAT YOU LOVE,
CALLED "GUIDE ME OH THOU GREAT
JEHOVAH".
>> NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH.
>> OWE,YES E, WE DID. >> THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD CHURCH.
>> THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD CHURCH.
OH, MY GOSH.
OH.
>> THATS MY CHILDHOOD CHURCH.
>> I KNOW.
>> AND THATS YOUR --
>> YOUR GRANDMA IS THERE.
>> OH, I GREW -- THAT, THAT, YOU
HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT MEANS
TO ME.
I WAS SHAPED AND MOLDED AND
FORMED BY THAT CHURCH, SINGING
IN THE CHOIR WITH MY GRANDMA IN
THAT CHURCH.
>> AND THERES YOUR AUNT WANDA.
>> HER NICKNAME IS BOO.
>> BELOVE BOO BUT WE LOVE YOU
MORE.
GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY YOUR BOOK
TOUR.
RECEIVE ALL THE GOODNESS THATS
COMING TO YOU.
>> WE LOVE YOU, HAPPY FATHERS
DAY.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ITS SO
SWEET.
>> HAPPY FATHERS DAY.
>> PICK UP A COPY OF CRAIGS
BOOK CALLED "POPS,"
TODAY.COM/SHOP.
GO TO BARNS & NOBLE.
>> GET IT FOR ALL THE DADS AND
ALL THE KIDS.
>> WEVE GOT TO THANK OUR
AFFILIATE DOWN THERE.