Ryder’s 18th birthday should have been a memorable day, but his father’s absence left him feeling disappointed. Instead of celebrating with his son, his father chose to go on a fishing trip with friends, leaving Ryder devastated and questioning their relationship.
Growing up, Ryder’s life was normal until his parents started arguing when he was seven. By eight, his father was no longer living at home. Ryder vividly remembers his mother explaining the divorce, reassuring him that it wasn’t his fault. After the split, his mom worked hard as an elementary school teacher to provide for him, while his dad became more of a distant figure, often preoccupied with hobbies and weekends spent fishing.
As Ryder approached his 18th birthday, he hoped his father would finally prioritize him. He planned a small party with his mom and friends and even sent a message to his dad. When his father responded with: “I’ll try to be there”, Ryder felt a flicker of hope. However, on the big day, despite all the decorations and a cake baked by his mom, his father didn’t show up.
After waiting hours without any contact from his dad, Ryder called him, only to learn that he was still on the lake, seemingly indifferent to his son’s special day. Ryder felt crushed and hid in his room until his mom found him. He struggled to mask his disappointment, feeling invisible and unimportant.
A week later, his father called, offering to give Ryder a gift. Despite his anger, Ryder agreed to visit. When he arrived, his dad handed him a shiny fishing rod, a gift that felt more like a reminder of his absence than a thoughtful present. Ryder felt betrayed, realizing that his father would never truly prioritize him. When his dad invited him to join a fishing trip with friends, Ryder politely declined, knowing deep down that their relationship would never change.
As he left, holding the fishing rod, Ryder felt a shift within himself. He recognized he didn’t need to chase after someone who didn’t want to be there for him. In the months that followed, he focused on the people who truly cared—his mom and friends. He threw himself into music, practicing the guitar and helping his mom around the house to show his appreciation.
One evening, while washing dishes, his mom asked if he had heard from his father. Ryder shook his head, feeling at peace with his decision to stop waiting. His mom expressed sadness about their relationship, but Ryder reassured her that having her support was more than enough.
Over time, Ryder learned that his self-worth wasn’t dependent on his father’s attention. His experiences taught him an important lesson: sometimes, people won’t fulfill your expectations, and that’s okay. The fishing rod remains in his closet as a reminder not of what he lost, but of what he gained: self-respect, resilience, and the ability to move on from what he couldn’t change.
In her memoir, Lisa Marie Presley shares that when she and Michael Jackson first started their relationship, he was still a virgin.
In her memoir, released after her death, Lisa Marie Presley says that when she and her second husband, Michael Jackson, started their relationship, he was a virgin. Michael Jackson, known as the “King of Pop,” passed away from a heart attack in 2009 at the age of 50, just weeks before his final tour was set to begin.
Michael Jackson married singer Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, but they divorced two years later. Presley passed away in January 2023 at the age of 54 due to complications from weight loss surgery. The two first met in 1975 when Lisa was just seven years old at a Jackson Five concert in Las Vegas, where her father, Elvis Presley, was also performing.
Their romance didn’t start until about 20 years later, when Lisa Marie was 26 and Michael was 35. They got married shortly after Lisa divorced her first husband, Danny Keough, with whom she had two children.
In her book From Here to the Great Unknown, released on October 8 and finished by her daughter Riley Keough, Lisa Marie Presley shared that Michael Jackson told her he was still a virgin when they got together. He mentioned that he had only kissed Tatum O’Neal and had a non-physical relationship with Brooke Shields. He also said Madonna once tried to hook up with him, but nothing happened. Lisa Marie admitted she was nervous about doing something wrong.
She added that when Michael decided to kiss her for the first time, he took the lead in everything. The physical side of their relationship started quickly, which surprised her because she thought they might wait until marriage. But Michael told her, “I’m not waiting!”
In her memoir, Lisa Marie Presley wrote about how their relationship grew. Michael Jackson told her, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m completely in love with you. I want us to get married and for you to have my children.”
At first, she didn’t know what to say, so she replied, “I’m really flattered, I can’t even talk.” She added that by that time, she had fallen in love with him too.
Macmillan
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