It's Okay to Cry

Chapter 32

2/12/17

VegasCon

4:30 Hailee Padalecki

"What do the cast members mean to you? What kind of relationship do you have with them?" a fan asks.

"You mean as a whole or individually?" Hailee clarifies.

"Each member. So like your dad, Jensen, that make sense?" the fan answers.

Hailee nods.

"Well, my dad... They say not all heroes wear capes. Mine wears a beanie and flannel."

The crowd "aww"s.

"Seriously. There's more than one reason I was homeschooled. So yeah. My dad was a single parent with a job as an actor. He worked constantly, with really weird hours, and still managed to change every single one of my diapers. And I mean metaphorical diapers as well. I had my own chair on set, and at night I'd be in a sleeping bag about ten feet away from him. The primary reason I was homeschooled? I was a terrible kid, and I don't think he wanted the principal to call and yell at him because his four-year-old daughter swore worse than a sailor. He always managed to keep me with him and keep me taken care of, as well as homeschooling me, as well as putting up with me being a terrible child, WHILE he kept his role as the star of the best TV show in the history of the world."

This earns a lot of laughs and cheers from the audience.

"So yeah. Just dealing with me as a kid was heroic. But you guys have probably heard... Eighth and ninth grade was really hard for me. I know that a lot of you have had it worse than I have. But... Okay, to all of you who are struggling with things worse than I can imagine... You are absolutely amazing. You are so strong to have fought through so far. Always Keep Fighting, you're doing amazing. And to the people that feel like there are so many people that have it worse than you? That doesn't mean you aren't struggling. Please don't think 'Oh, I shouldn't be like this, there are so many people that have it worse than me.' Yes you have blessings to be thankful for. But that doesn't mean you're not allowed to feel. It's okay to hurt, it's okay to struggle, it's okay to cry, it's okay to worry, it's okay to not be okay. We all have our struggles, we all have our demons we have to fight. Minimising what we're feeling or what others are feeling will do no good. You are feeling what you are feeling, no matter how you compare to anyone else. And the way to get through these struggles, the way to fight these demons... It's not by fighting each other, it's by fighting together. There may be times when you feel alone, like you're the only one that feels the way you feel, like no one understands what you're going through. I've certainly felt that way. But you are not alone. We all struggle, and a lot of people have very similar struggles. Yes, all people go through unique circumstances. But while you are unique, You Are Not Alone. Okay? Always Keep Fighting."

The crowd cheers, and Hailee smiles and blows a kiss, "That's what Always Keep Fighting and You Are Not Alone are about. Keep going, you are so strong, even when you feel weak. And when you don't feel like you're strong enough, you can rely on us. We're a family, we can fight through this together."

"Anywho. I got off-topic there. A very important topic. But still very off-topic. So yeah. My dad... When I was going through all that... He was always there. He gave me the strength to keep going, he kept pushing me forward when I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel and I just felt like I was going farther and farther down. He understood when I wasn't strong enough to do something, and was always there to guide me and give me hope. He taught me to Always Keep Fighting, and he asked you guys to teach me what You Are Not Alone means. So yes. For many, many reasons, my dad is my hero. Not saying that it's all deep and heartfelt where my dad and I are concerned. I got a lot of my weirdness from him. We're constantly goofing around, having fun... It's just, I know he loves me, and I know he will always be there to take care of me."