Blog from Phil Stacey

This is a blog post from Phil Stacey. Phil is a very special person and I would like you all to read this amazing story.


For Carrie...
Most of us can not see how beautiful life is until we have experienced it through the eyes of a child. Maybe you have a child - or two, like I do - or a neice or nephew. Someone you have truly bonded with. If so, you will understand the impact that the following story had on me. She was a little girl, diagnosed with a terrible disease that offered no sign of hope. Mom had already been informed that her precious little girl's days were numbered. Many of us know how ugly cancer can be because we have experienced it - maybe personally or through a loved one. I was on a reality talent competition, with no understanding of the audience at home watching, I tried to do my best and keep a positive outlook. I may not have been a favorite of the judges, but I felt that God had put me there for a reason. Not because I deserved it, but because He had a purpose for me there. Maybe it was my attitude that touched that little girl's heart. Maybe it was the sincerity in which I sang. For one reason or another, She loved me. She was a Philnatic. So was her mom. They watched the show and they listened to the recordings we made from week to week. When the Doctors said this little girl could not make it any longer, she decided that she didn't want to leave yet. She had too much to do. Too much was going on that she didn't want to miss. What would happen to Phil on the show? She was bonding with her mom - in a brand new way. They became passionate about it together and enjoyed supporting me as a team. When this precious mother sent me this story, she thanked me for giving her daughter two months longer than they expected. She passed away the night of my elimination. Now, she is enjoying music far more beautiful than anything we could ever come close to on American Idol. I read the message, and I cried. Maybe because of the sorrow that I certainly felt for this amazing woman, but also because this precious little girl saw something beautiful in me. Beyond her situation which would have crippled anyone else - she looked for something she could hold onto - and one of those things was supporting me - all the way, with her mom.We don't know who is watching us. We don't know the impact we make when we think no one is looking. But if this story doesn't make me feel like it was all worth while - the long hours, the time I lost with my own family, the criticism I faced - I don't know what could. And in the future, when my priorities become out of whack, or when I forget why I chose to be in the public eye, I hope I can remember Carrie and her precious little girl - that there are things way more important than the money I could make, the places I could see, or the cars I could drive. I do this for Carrie and her daughter - and the others who want something to connect with. I do it for my two daughters - and one amazing woman that I am proud to call my wife.Thanks Carrie, for sharing your story with me. I would not put it past God to have put me on that show specifically for you and your daughter. And I would be honored if He did so. God Bless You.As for the little girl, whose last words were, "I love you mommy, and tell Phil I love him, too." Well, I love you, too, sweetheart.