When I was a little girl I used to love hanging out with my dad and his friends. To me, they were the funniest people I knew, and I felt like the coolest kid around getting to be with them.
When I was 13, I lost my dad to an unexpected heart attack in his sleep. It was extremely hard for me, and I went through a very rough time.
There were things that made me happy and that allowed me to keep going, but for a very long time, I still felt a void in my heart where the experiences I used to always share with my dad used to be.
My dad and I did a lot together, and I didn’t feel complete knowing that he wasn’t there anymore. I learned how to be happy and get by, but I still felt empty.
Until I found the Tenderloins.
The Tenderloins are a comedy troupe composed of Joe Gatto, Brian Quinn (Q), Sal Vulcano and James Murray (Murr). They’ve been friends since high school and started a show called the "Impractical Jokers."
You may be familiar with it, but if you aren’t, it’s a show where the four guys go into public and do or say whatever the other guys tell them to do or say to strangers. It’s extremely entertaining, and I found myself really enjoying the show. Although it was really funny, something seemed extremely familiar.
It all came together when I was watching the show with my mom, and she said that the four of them were exactly like my dad and his friends.
The memories of me hanging out with my dad and his friends as a little girl came flooding back. It all made sense. The show "Impractical Jokers" wasn’t just funny to me, it filled the void that for so long I thought would never be filled.
Since then, I know I can turn the show on no matter what I’m going through and instantly feel better. It brings me happiness, and they make me feel complete.
Everyone goes through hard times, but it’s not the obstacles that define us, it’s how we overcome them. Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve had to go through, but it allowed me to become stronger, and for that, I am thankful.
When you go through hard times, though, it is not always easy to just come back from them. Sometimes, you need a little help. For me, "Impractical Jokers" was the thing that allowed me to be whole again. It’s so important after you go through a loss, or any type of obstacle, that you are open to the things that can make the situation easier for you.
Things may not seem like they will ever get better at the time, but I promise that if you keep a positive attitude, learn to grow from the situation and find the thing that fills the void for you like "Impractical Jokers" did for me, you will be so grateful in the end.
