MR. MELVIN, WHY DON’T WE START
WITH YOU
WHAT DO THE HOLIDAYS MEAN TO
YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE
WHEN YOU’RE LITTLE, THERE’S THE
MAGIC OF OPENING THE CHRISTMAS
GIFTS AND SANTA AND THEN, YOU
KNOW, FOR ME AT LEAST, YOU GROW
OLDER.
AND THEN THE HOLIDAYS, THEY’RE
NOT REALLY THE SAME.
FOR ME, PARTLY -- IT WAS BECAUSE
I MOVED AWAY
SO ALL OF MY FAMILY WAS IN SOUTH
CAROLINA
I LIVED IN D.C
SO I DIDN’T ALWAYS GET TO SEE
THEM DURING CHRISTMAS.
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IN THE
LAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, YOU
HAVE KIDS AND THEN YOU GET TO
EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS THROUGH
THEIR EYES, ALL OF THE JOY, ALL
OF THE WONDER.
IT RETURNS
IT’S LIKE YOU’RE A KID ALL OVER
AGAIN.
AND THIS CHRISTMAS ESPECIALLY
WITH ALL THAT WE’VE EXPERIENCED
THIS YEAR, IT HAS BEEN -- IT’S
BEEN EVEN MORE MAGICAL THAN
USUAL, AL.
HOW ABOUT YOU, MR. ROKER
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN
INTERESTING.
AGAIN, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GONE
THROUGH A LOT WORSE DURING THE
PANDEMIC
WE HAVE NOT SEEN LELA, OUR
MIDDLE GIRL, SINCE JANUARY
BECAUSE SHE’S BEEN STUCK IN
PARIS GOING TO COLLEGE
AND SHE CAME HOME.
AND WE WERE ALL TOGETHER
IN FACT, WE DIDN’T EVEN -- THE
SIMPLE THING LIKE TAKING A
CHRISTMAS PICTURE OR OUR CARD
DIDN’T HAPPEN.
WE DID IT, BUT THE CARDS ARE
GOING TO GO OUT LATE
TO YOUR POINT, HAVING YOUR
FAMILY TOGETHER IS ONE OF THOSE
THINGS THAT REALLY MEANS MORE TO
YOU, I THINK, AS YOU GET OLDER
THAN WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE SMALLER.
>> IT’S SO TRUE.
BRIAN SAID TO ME BEFORE
CHRISTMAS, THIS IS GOING TO BE
THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.
I SAID REALLY?
>> WOW
>> WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT
HE SAID BECAUSE IT’S JUST US
WE GET TO FOCUS ON JUST US
CALVIN’S AT THIS POINT WHERE HE
GETS THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS.
OLIVER DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING
ON
WE NOTICED IT ON THANKSGIVING
WHEN IT WAS JUST US.
WE NOTICED IT FOR OLIVER’S
BAPTISM.
BECAUSE WE WEREN’T TRYING TO
PLAN A HUNDRED DIFFERENT
PARTIES.
>> A POOL OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
>> YES
JUST DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO WHICH
IS SPECIAL
>> HOW ABOUT YOU
>> EVERYTHING YOU GUYS SAID.
YOU’RE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE.
THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
FOR US BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST
YEAR WE EVER SPENT CHRISTMAS IN
NEW YORK CITY.
EVEN THERE, THAT PICTURE, WE
WERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
WE’VE BEEN TRAVELING ALL OVER
THE PLACE IT SEEMS OFFER THE
LAST SIX YEARS OR SO
THIS YEAR OBVIOUSLY WE’RE ALL
STAYING PUT.
AND INSIDE WAS A LITTLE
BITTER/SWEET
THE KIDS AREN’T GOING TO HAVE
THEIR COUSINS, IT’S JUST US.
CLAIRE CAME TO ME THE OTHER DAY,
I’M SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS
IT’S JUST GOING TO BE US
OH, SEE, IT’S GOING TO BE FINE
I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO
THE ENTIRE SEASON.
NOT JUST TODAY, BUT THROUGHOUT
THE HOLIDAY SEASON
I MEAN, TRS’IT’S WHAT WE’VE ALL
SAID
2020 PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAVE EACH OTHER
YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH
IT’S CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO BE
GRATEFUL FOR
>> CRAIG, YOU ALLUDED TO
SOMETHING.
YOU TALK ABOUT MEMORIES.
WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES FROM YEARS
PAST
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE
IT’S NOT A PLEASANT MEMORY, BUT
I’LL NEVER FORGET IT
I WAS REALLY INTO -- DO YOU
REMEMBER POUND PUPPIES
>> OF COURSE
>> SO, I WAS REALLY INTO POUND
PUPPIES.
I WAS PROBABLY 7 OR 8, AND I HAD
ASKED FOR A POUND PUPPY FROM
SANTA.
AND THE GIFTS WERE UNDER THE
TREE
>> OH, NO.
>> I COULD TELL BASED ON THE
SHAPE OF THE BOX THAT THIS WAS
THE POUND PUPPY I HAD BEEN
WAITING MONTHS FOR
AND I COULDN’T CONTROL MYSELF.
I COULD NOT CONTROL MYSELF
I HOPED THE BOX AND SAW THE
LITTLE FACE, I GOT TO TOUCH IT
>> SO IT WAS
>> AND I PUT THE BOX BACK.
I SLID IT BACK AND I WAS JUST --
MY MOTHER CAME IN A FEW HOURS
LATER AND SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD
BEEN UNDER THE TREE.
AND I WAS LIKE, UH, WELL, YOU
SEE, WHAT HAPPENED WAS -- AND
SHE BUSTED ME.
TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE.
I FELT AWFUL
BUT I LEARNED AN IMPORTANT
LESSON
>> WHAT’S THAT
>> NEXT TIME YOU LIE -- I
SHOULDN’T LIE.
>> CRAIG, I THOUGHT --
>> THAT’S WHERE YOU GET A
VIOLIN
>> MOM CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH
YOUR LIES.
>> THAT’S SO FUNNY
>> HOW ABOUT YOU CHANEL?
>> HOW ABOUT YOU
>> MY FAVORITE MEMORY, I THINK I
SAID THIS BEFORE, IS GOING
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WITH MY
GRANDMOTHER.
SHE WOULD GIVE US A BUDGET, A
CALCULATOR, PENCIL AND PAPER
WE WOULD GO TO THE LOCAL WOOL
WORTH.
I THINK WE HAD MAYBE 50 BUCKS.
WE HAD TO WRITE A LIST
YOU HAVE $50
WE MIGHT HAVE GRADUATED TO $100.
WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE TO GIVE
FOR.
WE WOULD GO TO HER HOUSE, HOT
CHOCOLATE, TURN ON THE CHRISTMAS
MUSIC AND WE WOULD WRAP GIFTS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE FONDEST
MEMORIES OF MY LIFE FOR SURE
>> DYLAN
>> OUR THING, IT WAS A MEMORY
THAT WAS REPEATED EVERY SINGLE
YEAR BECAUSE IT BECAME OUR
TRADITION.
WE WOULD ALWAYS SIT ON THE
STAIRS
WE HAD STAIRS THAT KIND OF LED
INTO THE LIVING ROOM
SO I’D WAKE UP MY DAD AND SAY,
IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING, WE GOT
TO GO.
HE SAID, I HAVE TO GET READY
HE’D GO TO THE BATHROOM.
WE WOULD START AT THE TOP
STAIRS
ME AND MY TWO BROTHERS
WE’D GO TO THE NEXT STAIR.
WE WOULD LOOK IN THE WINDOW
FRAME TO SEE IF SANTA CAME
WE WOULD BOTH GO IN THE LIVING
ROOM
SANTA DIDN’T COME.
THAT WAS OUR CUE WE COULD RUSH
INTO THE LIVING ROOM
THIS STARTED WHEN WE WERE KIDS
WE’D COME HOME FROM COLLEGE, WE
DID THE SAME THING
MY BROTHERS IN THE MILITARY,
THEY DO THE SAME THING
AS OUR FAMILIES GREW, WE WOULD
DO THE SAME THING.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT I MISS MOST
FROM GROWING UP.
WE DON’T HAVE THAT HOUSE ANY
MORE TO RELIVE THAT MEMORY WITH
OUR KIDS
>> MAYBE YOU CAN ASK THE FOLKS
THAT LIVE THERE --
>> WHAT ABOUT YOU, AL?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S SPLIT BETWEEN
TWO.
ONE, I WAS 8 YEARS OLD AND I HAD
THE MUMPS, LIKE THE NIGHT
BEFORE -- THE DAY BEFORE
CHRISTMAS.
>> OH, MY GOSH
>> AND I WOKE UP
I THOUGHT I WASN’T GOING TO BE
ABLE TO COME BECAUSE MY
BROTHER -- ANYWAY, OVERNIGHT MY
DAD MOVED THE CHRISTMAS TREE
INTO MY BEDROOM.
>> AH.
>> I WOKE UP AND THERE WAS THE
TREE
>> THAT IS ZAP SO’S SO SWEET.
>> THAT’S AWESOME.
>> WITH ADOPTED COURTNEY RIGHT
BEFORE CHRISTMAS
IT WAS CHRISTMAS WITH MY OWN
KID.
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE
CHRISTMASES WE EVER HAD.
>> THAT’S SO GOOD.
>> SNACKS, CHRISTMAS SNACKS.
>> CHEERS, GUYS.
>> WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
>> FOR CHRISTMAS SNACKS?
TAKE A WATER CHESTNUT, WRAP IT
IN BACON
YOU PUT IT ON PINEAPPLE, DRIZZLE
SOME SOY SAUCE ON IT AND PUT IT
IN THE OVEN.
>> ON CHRISTMAS?
>> IT’S OUR CHRISTMAS SNACK.
>> WAIT.
OKAY
LET ME -- A PINEAPPLE?
>> THAT’S AN ELABORATE CHRISTMAS