Taylor Swift’s Mom Gave A Touching Speech That Made Everyone Ugly Cry At The Country Music Awards
Last night at the Country Music Awards there was not a dry eye in the house, because 25-year-old Taylor Swift received a Milestone Award that was presented by her mother, Andrea, and her mother’s speech just left everyone weepy and wanting to call their moms.
“I’ve watched this milestone artist from the time she was a tangle-haired little girl, growing up on our farm,” said Andrea Swift, who was diagnosed with cancer around Christmas. “Full of imagination and creativity until right now when she prepares for her next world tour. And ever since then, her favorite thing to do is to write a song, tell a story, play a guitar or piano, and I’ve seen those things carry her through her every emotion, every experience in her life, good or bad.”
“For many years I was her constant companion and I witnessed a young girl with very few friends become a young woman with many, learning to stand up for herself and the things she believes in. Being brave enough to explore her musical curiosity … and giving of herself to those in need. And like many of you here tonight with children of your own, I am a very proud mom.”
“I’d like to thank the ACMs for honoring her in this way, but I’d also like to thank the entire music community for taking such good care of her. And to the fans, I know you love her as I love her. And for that, I thank you eternally.”
And now I’m ugly crying as I transcribe her speech, because she sounds so proud of her daughter and so legitimately happy to think of how much Taylor Swift’s fans love her.
It’s a particularly emotionally charged moment, because Taylor Swift recently announced on Tumblr that her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She said at the time that her mother had been feeling fine and had no symptoms at all, but only acquiesced to getting screened so her kids would get off her back about it. But the tests came back positive. Swift posted the devastating news to her Tumblr and said she hopes it will inspire more people to get screened for potential health issues and not to just assume everything is OK.
Swift and her mother are very close, and Swift wrote her 2008 song, “Best Day” for her mom. If you are not already getting weepy from Andrea’s speech, watching a bit of the “Best Day” video will take care of that for you. (Warning: Do not click that link if you have somewhere to be in the next couple hours. I have a work event tonight and was all ready to be fashionable and professional and fabulous, and I watched that “Best Day” video and now I’m a dribbly, red-faced mess. If anyone asks about it, I’m just going to have to make them watch the video too, and then we will all be splotchy and weepy together.)
Watch Andrea Swift’s whole speech here:
[youtube=https://youtu.be/iIDa-A8ZPH0]
(Photo: Mike Windle/ACM2015/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images)
