The other night I was sitting on the sofa with my mom, likely watching NBC's "The Voice," when my mom asked me to pause the show so she could show me a video. I'm thinking it's going to be a viral video of a dog feeding a chubby baby or something along those lines, and instead I see that it is a video of Kelly Clarkson's latest performance on American Idol's final season.

To be honest, I was disinterested at first...why I would interrupt my new favorite singing show to watch the old one? Besides, what could be so special about an Idol winner performing one of their current singles? This scenario is, after all, pretty commonplace for the show.

However, a few seconds into the video, it became evident that I was not watching a run of the mill "buy my song on iTunes" type of publicity-seeking performance. What Clarkson was exhibiting in her performance was a pure, raw emotion and a true connection to the vulnerable words that was she was saying, words that caused her to fight the tears that began to well in her eyes.

In essence, the song tells the story of Clarkson being abandoned by her father at the young age of six, and his subsequent attempts to rejoin her life once she had achieved money and fame as a popular singer. In turn, she creates a juxtaposition between her father's selfishness, greed, and cruelty and the selfless love that her husband provides her and her daughter. In fact, Clarkson performed while pregnant with their second child--a boy.

By claiming her story of abandonment as her own, and making it clear that she would not be defined by her father's choice to leave, Clarkson transforms abandonment into a means of empowerment. Moreover, she takes a stand that her parenting will not at all be affected by her hard past with her own dad.

At its core, this honesty, emotion, and powerful message is what makes for a great song and a wonderful performer. We should all be so bold in claiming the truth of our lives and not letting negative experiences define us.

If you haven't watched this moving performance yet, I suggest you do--a reminder to us all of the power in vulnerability.