While the saying “the show must go on” typically applies to the theater world, it’s a credo that we moms live by. It takes tremendous effort to keep all of the plates spinning in terms of family & household, & moms are known for their superhuman ability to somehow manage to do all.the.things.
In the midst of extreme multitasking, however, it’s all too common for moms to put their own needs dead last.
We power through all sorts of distractions, discomfort and fatigue to tackle the tasks that need doing, and somehow make the impossible seem, well possible!
Singer Kelly Clarkson demonstrated that superhuman mama power when she did a fabulous job hosting this year’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday May 1.
She not only MC’d the entire show, but opened it with a powerful medley and was on fire while singing her own song, “Broken & Beautiful”.
But something else was also on fire at the time: Kelly’s appendix.
It was later revealed that Clarkson was suffering from an acute case of appendicitis shortly before hosting the show that day, and she required surgery mere hours after the ceremony’s conclusion.
Can you even imagine?? Now I’ve never experienced a bout of appendicitis before, thankfully, but I’ve heard that it can be extremely painful & debilitating. And the danger of appendicitis, of course, is the risk for complications from a rupture. Clarkson decided to attempt to fulfill her hosting gig, but with a battle plan.
She was under close doctor supervision in the hours prior to the show, placed on a hefty dose of antibiotics, and an emergency contingency plan had been created in case she had to leave unexpectedly.
When Clarkson was later asked what she would have done if her condition grew worse, her joking response was:
Uh, bye! I love the Billboard Music Awards but I love my life and my family more. All the people running the show would have understood. Somebody would have stepped in. There’s plenty of people — it ain’t like I’m doing something people can’t do.
Talk about superhuman effort, Clarkson- it’s nothing short of amazing that she managed to not only make it through the entire show, but to do such a stellar job of hosting it while in such pain.
Take a look at the following Billboard Music Awards clip; I can’t even fathom what it would be like to try & pull something like this off while sick.
HOW DID SHE DO THIS??
Somehow Clarkson managed to focus on her performance rather than her pain, & did a fantastic job belting out her song. As she explained after the show, she was running on sheer adrenaline:
Your adrenaline kicks in when you’re in that kind of pain. It wasn’t until the very end of it, which was hours before the surgery, so I was fine.
Yup. Red-carpeting, smiling, & singing…. with a busted appendix. She “was fine”! Seriously, we women are frigging AMAZING!
Immediately following the ceremony, Kelly’s condition worsened, & she flew directly to California’s Cedars-Sinai Hospital for the surgical removal of her appendix.
She shared her news with fans on her Twitter account the next day:
Not gonna lie…. I may or may not have broken down in tears after the show from pain ? BUT thanks 2 all the amazing people @ Cedars-Sinai I flew home directly after the event, nailed the surgery early this morning, & feeling awesome now! Bye bye appendix ? #TheShowMustGoOn ????? https://t.co/eL9HoVlSiM
— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) May 2, 2019
Clarkson’s humility about the episode is just another reason that women truly are kickass creatures.
Despite receiving well-deserved props for ability to pull off such a successful show while clearly in pain, she downplayed the incident. When she addressed the compliments aimed her way, she joked:
I’m not a warrior. I’m not. Y’all didn’t see me backstage with my assistant. She’s standing back there, laughing!
Regardless of how she may have acted backstage, I’m pretty sure that Kelly’s performance onstage ensures her status as a full-fledged warrior!
Clarkson kept her fans updated about her recovery, and was back at work co-hosting The Voice by Monday, four days after her appendectomy. Back to business, mama!
If Kelly hadn’t closely consulted with medical professionals to safeguard any catastrophe, her decision to host would have been venturing into martyrdom. We certainly don’t want to make the mistake of celebrating women taking unnecessary risks, or champion suffering as “admirable”.
What was cool about Kelly’s performance last Wednesday is exactly what’s cool about the majority of women out in the world. Kelly battled through extremely adverse circumstances to get the job done, and did it with humility, strength, & humor. That’s just what countless women do, each & every day.
Women are often referred to as “the weaker sex”, but clearly that’s not true in this case; Kelly is a reminder that we truly ARE warriors.